Ashley Morin, a mother of three from Spanish Fork, Utah, described a harrowing experience in 2023 when her newborn son, Nolan, nearly died due to a severe bacterial infection. Morin reported that something felt wrong with Nolan from the outset, noting he had a poor appetite and cried minimally. Despite her concerns, doctors attributed these symptoms to high bilirubin levels, a common condition in newborns, and discharged them two days after birth.
Morin's apprehension grew when Nolan continued to refuse to eat. She returned to the hospital two days later, but her worries were again dismissed, with medical professionals suggesting such behavior was normal for jaundiced infants. They declined to re-admit Nolan, sending the family home despite his rising bilirubin levels.
The situation escalated dramatically when Nolan, five days old, experienced a seizure. Morin rushed him to the emergency room, but she stated her concerns were once more downplayed. She was told that his lethargic state and eye movements were typical for newborns. However, as Morin insisted this was not normal for her third child, doctors agreed to run tests for infection.
While preparing for discharge, Nolan suffered three consecutive seizures of increasing severity. This prompted medical staff to take her concerns seriously, arranging for him to be transported via ambulance and then life-flighted to a children's hospital. During the flight, Nolan was intubated as his seizures continued.
At the children's hospital, it took two agonizing days for doctors to diagnose Nolan. He was found to have Citrobacter koseri, a rare and aggressive form of bacterial meningitis with a mortality rate of approximately one in three. The infection had severely attacked his brain, damaging his frontal lobes and left occipital lobe.
Doctors informed Morin that Nolan might not survive or, if he did, would likely face permanent neurological damage, including an inability to eat, breathe, or move independently, and severe cerebral palsy. They presented her with the option of discontinuing life support. In the midst of this crisis, Morin recalled the nurse's tears as she delivered the grim prognosis.
Morin refused to give up, and thankfully, Nolan began to recover. He opened his eyes three days after falling into a coma and soon regained the ability to eat and breathe on his own. Nolan, who is approaching his third birthday, has experienced long-term effects from the brain damage, including drug-resistant epilepsy, vision impairment, and developmental and speech delays.
Despite these challenges, Morin considers her son a "miracle." He is now active, walks, runs, plays sports, and has a vocabulary of about 50 words. Morin has shared her story to encourage other parents to advocate for their children and question medical advice when they feel something is amiss.
