CMN Hospitals grant helps mom focus on caring for daughter 

When Maia Lipscomb was born the day before Easter in 2018, she was a happy, healthy little girl, if not an impatient one.  

That morning, Maia’s mother, Kristy, an exercise physiologist at Gundersen St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and Clinics in Wabasha, had taken her son Brogen to an Easter egg hunt in Onalaska, and she was chasing after him as he was chasing down eggs. That’s when Maia decided it was time to meet the world. 

“I took off running with Brogen, and that put me in labor,” Kristy said.  

Knowing there was little time to spare, Kristy gathered her husband, and they took off for Olmstead Medical Center in Rochester, where they planned to give birth, arriving just 17 minutes before Maia made her grand entrance. 

“I almost had her in the car,” Kristy said. “I could feel her coming. She was a very fast delivery.” 

As touch and go as the whole day was, Maia came out a healthy eight pounds, 15 ounces, with no indication that not long into her new life, she’d face down a health emergency that would require fast action from doctors to save her. 

It started on Thanksgiving Day of last year when Maia developed what Kristy believed to be a common cold. Throughout the weekend, though, Maia’s symptoms never subsided, and in fact, they continued to worsen, to the point that on the following Wednesday, she was unable to walk. That prompted Kristy to bring her in to Gundersen St. Elizabeth’s for testing to find out what was going on. 

“They did a bunch of lab work, and she would cry just trying to walk,” she said.  

The tests came back inconclusive, so they were referred on to Gundersen in La Crosse. There, Maia was given a chest x-ray, which revealed that her lung had collapsed, and her chest cavity was filling with fluid. She also had pneumonia. That trio of issues led to emergency surgery.  

“They drained out probably 300 milliliters of fluid that night,” Kristy said. “When it was done, over 3,000 milliliters came out of this little four year old.” 

That led to a nine-night stay in the hospital for Maia and an equal amount of time away from home for Kristy. During that time, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals provided vouchers for all Kristy’s meals, which was a helpful gesture at a time when her focus was squarely on her daughter’s recovery.  

“I didn’t have to leave (Maia’s side),” Kristy said, “and you’re already thinking you’re going to have this huge medical bill after being there so many days. So, it was a nice little perk.” 

Throughout Maia’s stay, her numerous chest x-rays weren’t producing a clear picture of what happened – and another four days after discharge brought them no closer to answer. Five months later, doctors are still trying to pinpoint an exact cause of Maia’s episode.  

But in meantime, Maia is doing her best to get back to the things she loves, like dance, hiking and playing with her three siblings. Her energy level still isn’t quite what it once was, Kristy said, as full days of preschool usually take it out of her.  

“She wears out more,” Kristy said. “She’s still active and still doing things; she just tires a little bit more.” 

If you could benefit from a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital grant like Kristy, click here to apply. Donate today to help support families like Maia’s.