Kevin Robert Fickle was born on April 20, 1998. Kevin has two older sisters, Kaitlyn (5) & Kelsey (4). My wife, Colleen, is a stay at home mom and takes care of our children.

On Sunday 01/31/99, Colleen took Kevin, then nine months old, to the emergency room. He had been suffering from an ear infection for a few days and running a fever. We were told that the ear infection was simply running its course and not to worry. We were told it was unnecessary for us to take Kevin into the emergency room. Finally, Colleen and I had had enough and Colleen took Kevin to the hospital. During the examination, Kevin went into a seizure and respiratory distress. The doctors explained that they suspected that Kevin had meningitis and needed our permission to perform a spinal tap. The spinal tap was performed and confirmed bacterial meningitis though they had not isolated the strain.

We were told that Dr. Eduardo Hernandez was called and on his way to take Kevin to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at North Shore Regional Medical Center across town. Dr. Hernandez arrived and met with us briefly then immediately ordered three antibiotics, stabilized Kevin for the trip, and rode with Kevin in the ambulance to NSRMC. Later Dr. Hernandez told us that Kevin was a very, very sick little boy. He said Kevin had pneumococcal meningitis. The next few days would be critical. Dr. Hernandez told us the he felt optimistic about Kevin. We did not know it at the time but many had given Kevin less than a 10% chance of survival. Dr. Hernandez never wavered from his optimism and was determined to save our son.

When we were then told we could go in and see Kevin. We were not prepared for what we saw. Kevin was intubated and in a coma, he had a central line, and was connected to just about every monitoring device imaginable. His eyes were sunken in and slightly open. He did not look remotely like our little boy. It tore us up seeing him like that and the reality of the situation began to sink in for Colleen and I. No one could tell us at the time if Kevin was going to live.

On Tuesday we learned that Kevin had Resistant Pneumoccocal Meningitis. Wednesday a CT scan of the brain was taken and showed the devastation of the meningitis. Kevin had sustained five brain infarcts (strokes). Kevin’s neurologist, Dr. Aristoteles Pena-Miches, told us Kevin would have left side weakness and perhaps several other deficits. It would be highly unlikely that we would ever get back the little boy we had before. Things were moving too fast. Our heads were spinning and we kept wanting to wake up from this terrible dream. How could this happen to our perfectly healthy and happy little boy. Dr. Hernandez told us that Kevin would live but he still had a long road ahead.

We thanked Dr. Hernandez for saving Kevin’s life. He responded that it was God that had saved Kevin and that he was simply one of God’s instruments. Kevin stayed in the PICU at NSRMC for 32 days. He was taken off of the three antibiotics after 14 days. During his stay in the PICU he developed several complications including acute hydrocephalus so a shunt had to be put into place. Four attempts at extubating Kevin failed and he had to have a tracheotomy and he was dependent on the ventilator to breathe throughout his stay. A feeding tube was put in place so Kevin could get his nourishment. His gall bladder became inflamed and he was put on medication.

He had a few seizure episodes in the beginning but they resolved. The last brain scan showed severe brain atrophy. He suffered partial hearing loss in his left ear but his right ear was spared. His vision was a question. An ophthalmologist determined that Kevin was possibly blind.

Kevin’s progress and recovery is a story all unto itself. Dr. Hernandez is a young doctor that aggressively treats his patients. On the 8th day after Kevin entered the hospital, he approached us about wanting to put Kevin into a Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is most often associated with scuba divers experiencing decompression sickness.

The patient is put into a chamber with 100% compressed oxygen. HBOT is old technology but being put to new uses. Sadly, the FDA has only approved its use for only a small number of applications including non- healing wounds. There are not enough studies for brain injuries at this time for FDA approval. "Fortunately" for Kevin, he had developed a decubitus on the back of his head. This was Kevin’s ticket to the hyperbaric chamber. Dr. Hernandez assured us that Kevin would be in no danger at any time. While the HBOT is healing the decubitus, it could potentially help to heal his brain. There were no guarantees because not all patients respond to HBOT.

Dr. Hernandez explained the theory of HBOT and how it could help to heal Kevin’s brain. At the center of the infarct, all the cells are dead and nothing can be done to change that. However, there is area between the center of the infarct and the healthy cells called the Penumbra. The cells in the penumbra are not dead but dormant. They cannot receive good blood flow to make them function. HBOT in theory forces the compressed oxygen to those dormant cells, awakens them, and through some unexplained mechanism, proper blood flow is re-established to that area. The cells again become functional and it is hoped that they create a path around the damaged areas of the brain. HBOT also helps promote plasticity.

Dr. Hernandez further explained that he is successfully treating children with Cerebral Palsy and other patients that had sustained brain injuries years earlier. He was optimistic that Kevin would respond because Kevin was still in the acute phase of the illness. As parents, we had nothing to lose. HBOT would not hurt Kevin and it had the potential to help him. We agreed to try HBOT. On the 9th day Dr. Hernandez ordered tubes put in Kevin’s ears so the pressure in the chamber would not damage them. Kevin took his first "dive" in the chamber on day 10. He was on the ventilator and to our knowledge, he is perhaps the youngest patient to go into a hyperbaric chamber.

Dr. Hernandez initially ordered 70 dives and at the end of those 70, he would evaluate the progress and order more dives as necessary. The dives last one hour each day. During the third dive Kevin opened his eyes for the first time. Kevin continued to get stronger and soon Colleen or I had to go into the chamber with him to restrain and comfort him. Kevin began to amaze his doctors and therapists. The improvements and change showed with each passing day. After only a few dives, three of the five infarcts were no longer visible on the CT scans.

One of Kevin’s infarcts was located at the occipital lobe. This area of the brain controls vision. By the time Kevin was discharged, his vision had returned and he was no longer blind. Regarding his left side weakness, Kevin slowly began using his left hand. He now has full use of his left hand and can wiggle his toes on his left foot. Kevin shows no apparent weaknesses and has virtually reached his baseline. He feeds himself, crawls, plays with his toys, and should be walking very soon. He is doing age appropriate developmental tasks.

Dr. Hernandez and others familiar with his case are predicting that Kevin should make a full recovery. Dr. Hernandez and Dr. Pena-Miches never dreamed that Kevin would come this far and certainly not this fast. Kevin has reached 81 dives to date and has orders to 120 dives. He will be evaluated again at that time. Our family was blessed with many gifts throughout this terrible experience. We were given back the gift of our son and our family was restored. It appears that Kevin will make a full recovery in spite what shows on his brain scans.

We are told he should grow up and live a normal life and this whole episode could be nothing more than a painful memory for us. At six years old he is a normal boy with only a slight speech delay. Kevin’s doctors often refer to Kevin as a miracle. Kevin is our miracle and he certainly is what his sisters call him, "Kevin from Heaven".

Colleen and I along with Kevin’s nurse, Karen Boyd, are on a crusade for HBOT. We want to generate as much awareness as we can about HBOT. Kevin was fortunate to have had a doctor familiar with the potential benefits of HBOT and was determined to get Kevin in the chamber quickly.

Kevin received HBOT while still in the acute phase. Perhaps that explains his rapid and successful recovery. It is hoped that our experience will help other parents and provide a treatment option they might not have considered.

Lynn & Colleen Fickle, 713 Ashland Dr., Pearl River, LA 70452, 985-863-2813
Email address lfickle@earthlink.net
This story about Kevin was featured on Life Time’s Beyond Chance with Melissa Etheridge.