‘Don’t take the next day for granted.’ New mother thanks hospital staff after complicated delivery

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KCTV) - An emotional reunion took place at the Overland Park Regional Medical Center on Tuesday and KCTV5 was there to witness it all. A new mother thanked the medical staff who gave her a second chance at life, five months after her son was born premature.

New mother Holly Goucher says she’s counting her blessings after a complicated delivery in July. She and her doctors describe having her five-month-old son Benjamin as a blessing.

“So grateful. People ask me ‘how are you doing?’ I’m breathing. I mean, that in itself, don’t take the next day for granted because it isn’t promised. Anything can happen. So not a day goes by, I’m happy that I woke up today,” said Goucher.

Baby ‘Benny’ was all smiles on Tuesday.

“What could I ask more than getting a big smile from a baby like Benny who he and his mother had quite a rough start,” said HCA Midwest transport services medical director Dr. Robert G. Holcomb.

In July, Goucher received treatment for kidney issues in the antepartum unit at Centerpoint Medical Center. She went into respiratory failure which doctors say could have been life threatening for Holly and her baby.

“When they went ahead and intubated mom, Benny took a little bit of drop in his heart rate, but fortunately he recovered. We did not have to deliver him at that time, if we were we were gonna deliver her in the adult ICU,” said Dr. Holcomb.

He says they acted quickly and brought Goucher to the Overland Park Regional Medical Center where they performed an emergency c-section two months before her due date.

On July 6, Benjamin Goucher was born at three pounds. Holly remained sedated during this process.

“I missed the whole birthing experience and that was definitely emotional coming out of it. A new place, new hospital. No baby. Not knowing nothing. It was very traumatic,” said Goucher.

Now she’s grateful for the gift of life, and on Tuesday, she got to personally thank the ambulance and hospital team who made it all possible.

“I’m thankful that there’s the comion in the world and that they do what they do because welcoming new life is hard as it is and then with a medical need and it being your first one, it’s almost a loss for words,” said Goucher.

Holly tells KCTV5 she’s happy to report baby Benny is healthy and on track to meet his milestones.

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