Bryan mother pushes for increase, improving local specialized pediatric care

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Specialized pediatric care can be hard to find, with residents in some areas crossing state lines for the help their kids need. In the U.S., 20% of kids have specialized healthcare needs while 40% have at least one chronic condition, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Brazos County residents luckily don’t need to do that, seeking expertise in cities like Austin, Houston, Temple, Dallas and Fort Worth. But, parents say they still don’t feel very lucky.

“It’s been a very difficult, heartbreaking, exhausting journey. However, I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Taylor Heldenbrand said. She’s spent years making sure her 3-year-old daughter, Kinley, is okay. “When she was about six months old I took her to the doctor and not only is Kinley autistic, but they’re speculating of a very rare genetic disorder.”

Even with some answers in her first few years of life, the concerns aren’t gone.

Taylor says on Valentine’s Day they noticed blood when Kinley went to the bathroom and threw up. They went to a local emergency room, who told Taylor that Kinley wouldn’t be admitted and tests came back okay.

“She discharged her saying, ‘Oh it was just a virus’,” Taylor said she knew more was wrong.

Within hours Taylor headed to Austin with her child, where they learned Kinley was severely dehydrated and suffering from bleeding in her stomach. Doctors told Taylor that Kinley would have been dead in a matter of days without care.

“Really, I dread taking her to the ER because it’s going to be a fight to get her help,” she said.

On top of her health complications, Kinley needs extra care. She is nonverbal and can get overwhelmed. While her mom says she has a great pediatrician in town, the specialized care is what she really needs. This requires specialized doctors, many of whom don’t have the tools or space on their calendars to give kids the care they need.

“There are a limited number of pediatric hospitals and children’s hospitals in the country. We do have remarkable opportunities within a hundred to 150 miles,” Nancy Dickey, the Executive Director at the Texas A&M Rural and Community Health Institute, said. “We have a remarkable level of pediatric care, I think as we see the town continue to grow we’ll have more and more of those opportunities right here in town.”

Taylor says as that growth continues, she wants to see an emphasis on expanding access to specialized and pediatric care. Until then, she wants to ensure parents know they can be advocates for their kids in the doctor’s office and trust their ability to know when something is wrong.

“It is very important. Had I not spoke up for Kinley on Valentine’s Day, there is a good chance that she wouldn’t be with us today. Had I listened to that the doctor telling me, ‘just go home and wait it out for a few days’, that’s all she had was a few days,” she said.