Debbie's Story
"Hasbro Children’s Hospital saved, and is still saving, my daughter’s life. We could not be more thankful for her care." — Lucrecia Gomez, Debbie’s mom
Lucrecia Gomez’s daughter, Debbie, spent the first six months of her life at Hasbro Children’s Hospital. Lucrecia, then just 15 years old, spent those months at the hospital, too—in many ways, growing up alongside her baby.
Debbie was born at 37 weeks, with gastroschisis, a birth defect in which an infant's intestines are outside of the body because of a hole in the abdominal wall. As a newborn, Debbie had about 60 percent of her intestines removed, which caused her to have short bowel syndrome and the need to receive nutrition intravenously.
“It was pretty scary for me at that age,” Lucrecia recalls. “I had no idea what was going on. But the doctors and the nurses helped me understand what was going on with Debbie and how I should care for her.”
Today, Lucrecia manages her daughter’s needs with confidence. Debbie is now 11 years old and thriving, thanks to her ongoing care at Hasbro Children’s Hospital.
Lucrecia is thankful that Debbie’s visits to the hospital are now limited to a few times a year, so she can spend most of her time focusing on school and having fun. In fact, Debbie’s experience at Hasbro Children’s has been so positive that she aspires to become a child life specialist when she grows up.
“It’s amazing to see how big she is today,” Lucrecia says. I have no words to describe how grateful I am.”