January 19, 2016
Austin Shmoorkoff paid a visit to the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre’s neonatal intensive care during World Prematurity Day, where he spent the first few weeks of his life after being born premature and weighing a mere 5-lb.-0.5-oz. Now 6-ft. 3-in. tall and 177 lb., the 18-year-old Red Deer Rebels hockey team defenceman wanted to say ‘thank you’ to the NICU staff who looked after him.
Story by: Heather Kipling
To see Austin Shmoorkoff suited up with the Red Deer Rebels hockey club and defending his team’s blue line from all challengers, you’d never expect the towering defenceman was once smaller than his mother’s forearm.
Eighteen years ago, Shmoorkoff made a very early entrance into the world, spending the first few weeks of his life in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre (RDRHC).
“He was so tiny, he was barely the length of my forearm,” recalls mom Cheryl. “To go from having an 8-lb., 8-oz. baby (Austin’s older brother) to having one just over 5 lb. was a shock. He couldn’t eat, and he had no blood sugar at all, so his weight dropped to just 4 lb. while he was in the NICU.
“To see him now, it’s hard to believe he started out so tiny.”
Despite his small start, Shmoorkoff and his family have never let being born premature hold him back from skating after his dreams. Nor have they forgotten the care and compassion from those who helped care for him in the NICU.
“The nurses were fabulous. Not only did they take great care of him, but they took great care of me, helping me through a very difficult and emotional time,” says Cheryl. “We’re so grateful for the care he received.”
“They do amazing work,” adds Shmoorkoff, now 6-ft. 3-in and 177 lb. He stopped by the NICU in November during World Prematurity Day to say thank you to the staff who care for the hospital’s tiniest patients.
He also visited with families facing the same emotional rollercoaster his parents experienced with having a pre-term baby.
“To see what I went through and to meet some of the staff who were here when I was here has been eye-opening,” says Shmoorkoff. “I can’t say thank you enough to everyone who not only looked after me back then, but who are looking after all the other babies who need the NICU.
In 2014, there were more than 2,500 births at RDRHC, of which more than 500 were admitted to the NICU for care.
There is a wide range of health issues and complications premature babies can face. When babies are born too early, major organs including the heart and lungs may not be fully developed, making it difficult for tiny bodies to take in oxygen and pump blood. Then, there is also the emotional impact of having a pre-term baby that families must face.
Through it all, staff work together to care for and support infants and their families.
“I have had the privilege of working with the NICU team for more than two years and the staff are extremely dedicated,” says Barb Mehlhorn, manager of NICU and pediatrics at RDRHC. “It is a thrill to see how one of their past patients has grown up to be such a healthy and successful athlete.”
Cheryl echoes that sentiment.
“When Austin started playing hockey at four years old, we took him to his first Rebels game and he turned to me and said, ‘momma, one day I’m playing for the Rebels.’ Now here he is,” says Cheryl. “We are forever grateful for the care he received.”
