Answering All of the Questions

  • Winter 2018

Matthew Knippling

Appendicitis, an inflammation of the appendix, is most common in people ages 10 to 30. It is a medical emergency that cannot be prevented and requires quick removal of the appendix. When a child needs an appendectomy, clear communication from the health care team can reassure the entire family. 

On a Friday morning this past fall, Matthew Knippling’s 11-year-old son, Liam, woke up with stomach cramps and not much of an appetite. He came home early from school that day and Matthew and his wife treated Liam’s symptoms like a stomach bug. But when Liam hadn’t improved by Sunday morning, his parents knew it was something more. 

“We brought him here to Brookings,” said Matthew, who lives in Flandreau with his family. “The ER staff asked him a few questions and brought him in for a scan. Right away they could tell that his appendix was either having problems or ruptured.”

The OR team and General Surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Johnson immediately sprang into action, preparing Liam and his family for surgery.

“I thought they did a really good job talking to Liam, not just explaining to us what was happening and answering our questions,” said Matthew. “They made sure he understood what was going to happen and what needed to happen. He’s at the point where he likes to know what’s going on and how things are going to come out.”

Surgery went well, but during the procedure, Dr. Johnson discovered Liam’s appendix had ruptured. That meant Liam needed to stay in Brookings Hospital’s inpatient care unit for two days to recover and receive strong antibiotics to prevent further infection. 

While Liam recovered in the hospital, Matthew said the family felt like VIPs. Inpatient care staff continued to explain things to Liam in terms he could understand. They made him the focus of their communication, making Liam’s parents feel better, too.

“I think what I appreciated the most was just the way they put us at ease and the amount of attention they gave us,” said Matthew. “It made us feel really welcomed and they really understood what the seriousness of the situation was.”

The high-quality, compassionate and personalized health care Brookings Health’s team provided Liam and the support they showed his family helped them manage a stressful situation. 

“When we first got here, we were kind of worried about what it was, and then when we found out it was his appendix, we were pretty worried,” said Matthew. “It’s not something as a parent you always want to go through, but I think the staff and doctors really put us at ease just answering all of our questions and all of Liam’s questions.”

Watch more on the Knippling family’s story at brookingshealth.org/Matthew_K.