Testimonial - Compassionate, Local Pediatric Lab Services [Jennifer Zobel]

I am Jennifer Zobel. I am from Brookings. And in my free time, I like to just spend time with my family and friends and scrapbook and all that stuff. This is Theodore and we call him Teddy. He is going to be five months old and he is our first. And he has a blood clot. So we come to Brookings to get labs done.

How did you learn about Teddy's blood clots?

He was in the NICU at Avera. They were doing some ultrasounds and found the clots. And with that, we flew to Children's in Minneapolis and he had two weeks there of just watching him, monitoring everything and then teaching me how to give Lovenox shots. And since then, he left December 4th. He's been home and we do Lovenox shots twice a day.

What procedures does Teddy receive? 

We go in and do lab works here at Brookings because it's close. And his hematologist is in Sioux Falls at Sanford Children's, so they are able to work together and do the lab work and send the results to Children's.

What brought you to receive treatments at Brookings Health System? 

We went to another facility and they didn't have the appropriate needles and all the lab stuff that they need to do for pediatric stuff. So they poked him four times and still couldn't get the blood work. So the hematologist called and said, "Hey, do you want us to try the Brookings Health System and see if they have that?" And I'm like, "Okay." I was a little nerve-racked by then. So the next day, we went in. And in the first try, they got the blood work done. And I'm like, "Okay, we’re  going to be here. We'll come in here weekly."

As a mother, what does it mean to have a reliable laboratory? 

A lot of relief. Because he was stressed with four pokes, and they were unable to get the blood. So it was just a relief. This morning, we went and had lab done. He just laid there and just smiled. He knows the ladies. He doesn't even flinch when they do the labs. When he is here, they run and grab a warm blanket to wrap him up so he is nice and comfy. There's been times like he falls asleep in the blankets before they do the labs. It means a lot to have the peace that they know what they are doing.

What are the advantages of a local hospital? 

I'm his mom. If we had a bad experience, we would be going to Sioux Falls, once a week. But thank goodness we had a wonderful experience at Brookings Health Systems so we are very faithful at coming here. It's nice to have it in town. We don't have to worry about weather or whatnot. We are here.

What do you appreciate most about the staff? 

Absolutely wonderful, their compassion. I mean, they are great. We come in and they are welcoming even from the front desk. They are all like, "How's Teddy doing?" You can tell that everybody there cares. They like their job. They love their jobs.

What advice do you give parents in your situation? 

We just take a deep breath. It's hard, but when but you go to a place that has a wonderful staff, it's easier. The Brookings Health System is just wonderful. They are there when... If he's having a rough day, blood work isn't easy. Sometimes it's hard for me. And they turn around and give me a hug and go, "It's okay." They are just wonderful.