Sky-High Miracle

A flight to Hawaii for a little rest and relaxation turned into a work trip for three NKCH neonatal intensive care unit nurses. Lani Bamfield, BSN, RN; Amanda Beeding, BSN, RN; and Mimi Ho, BSN, RN; sprang into action after fellow passenger Lavi Mounga, who didn’t know she was pregnant, unexpectedly delivered a baby. Her son Raymond arrived early at just 29 weeks, barely weighing 3 pounds.

“We were about halfway through the flight and we heard someone call out for medical help,” Lani said. “I went to see what was going on and saw her [Lavi] holding a baby in her hands, and he’s little.”

With the help of Dale Glenn, MD, a Hawaii Pacific Health family medicine physician who also happened to be on board, the specially-trained NICU nurses cared for mom and baby for three hours until the flight landed in Honolulu. A medical response team was waiting to take them to Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children.

Medical Creativity

Caring for a new mom and her preterm baby on an airplane flying at 35,000 feet presented the makeshift medical team with a few challenges. They used a shoelace to cut the umbilical cord. Heated water bottles and trash bags kept Lavi and Raymond warm. A smartwatch measured the baby’s heart rate.

“I don’t know how a patient gets so lucky as to have three neonatal intensive care nurses on board the same flight when she is in emergency labor,” Dr. Glenn said. “The great thing about this was the teamwork. Everybody jumped in and helped out.”

NKCH, which has the only Level III NICU in the Northland, recently moved its gestational age from 30 weeks to 28 weeks. “Mimi, Lani and Amanda credit the training they received for their ability to remain calm and care for such a preterm newborn,” said Catherine Bonderer, MSN, MBA, RNC-OB, NKCH senior director of Maternal Child Health.

“If they weren’t there, I don’t think he would be here,” Lavi said. “We’re very blessed.”