Juliette's Journey: A Battle for Life and Her Return to Joy

“As a parent, when you are faced with unthinkable circumstances for your child, you can only hope that you are doing all you can to help them. When I couldn’t help my daughter, Valley Children’s did. They are the team that saved my daughter’s life and for that and their sincere support, I will remain forever grateful.”

– Maria, Juliette's mom

Meet Juliette. As an eighth grader, Juliette was a straight-A student who had a passion for reading and learning, so much so that she never wanted to miss a single day of school. Juliette also had a love for music as a member of band, and would enjoy spending time with her friends, including her sisters. While shy at heart, Juliette had an infectious smile and boundless spirit. 

In May 2023, that spirit was tested and everything for Juliette and her family changed. At a family party, Juliette began to feel unwell. Initially, she felt nauseous and then a fever set in. By the end of the following day, Juliette had developed a small, yet persistent, cough. The next morning, her cough grew more intense and Maria, Juliette’s mom, rushed her to Valley Children’s Hospital. 

"I trust Valley Children's," Maria said. "I have taken my other kids there before and felt confident that they would be able to provide the special care I knew my daughter needed."
 

Normally a happy and healthy eighth-grade, Juliette's health took a sudden turn in May 2023 and she was rushed to Valley Children's Hospital.
 

Trusted Expert Care Families Can Count On 

At Valley Children’s, things moved quickly as Juliette’s oxygen and breathing levels were dangerously low and she was immediately admitted for treatment. Despite all efforts, Juliette’s oxygen levels continued to drop and she couldn’t even stand without her levels plummeting. She became dependent on high-flow oxygen just to breathe. She had developed a condition known as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), where lung function is severely compromised. At the time, the cause of her ARDS was unknown. As her condition worsened, the clinical teams immediately rushed Juliette to Valley Children's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), where she was intubated and placed on mechanical ventilation. 

Even with the highest level of ventilator support, Juliette’s lungs continued to worsen and she would need lifesaving, specialized care known as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). While ECMO was not a cure, it would take over heart and lung function in order to give Juliette’s body a chance to rest. It was a scary and overwhelming step, but Maria placed her trust in the care team. 

"Dr. Nataly Shildt and the nurses provided my daughter with a level of care that I will never forget," Maria said. "I was so scared, but the team explained everything to me in a way that felt right. They were deeply committed to Juliette – they would collaborate with each other in such an impressive way while keeping me informed all along. And while their dedication to my daughter never wavered, they somehow managed to even care for me, often making sure I was okay, too.”
 

Hanging on to Hope 

Over the next several weeks, Juliette went on ECMO twice — once for two weeks, and after a short reprieve, back on it again for nearly another two weeks. 

“There were moments when I thought Juliette wasn’t going to make it, and in those darkest of times, I knew however I ended up leaving the hospital and regardless of the outcome, I was confident that we were doing everything imaginable to save Juliette. I saw firsthand how dedicated Valley Children’s team was to ensuring we were given every chance.” 

After extensive testing and research, it was determined that Juliette had a rare and severe allergic reaction to an antibiotic she had used prior to her hospital admission. This reaction led to the lung disease, ARDS, that almost took her life away. It was uncertain if her lungs would recover, prompting conversations about a lung transplant. It would take almost two years for her lungs to completely recover. 

After nearly a month of life-saving care, Juliette finally went off ECMO. But her recovery was just beginning. It would be weeks before her body would be able to regain the strength it had lost. The moment Juliette was transferred to Valley Children’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Center, Maria finally began to feel relief knowing they were on the path to recovery. Still, the process was difficult. Juliette was weak, discouraged and eager to regain some sense of normalcy. But with the help of dedicated therapists, she began to rebuild her strength, one step at a time.
 

Juliette smiles with her sisters
 

Finding Joy Again 

Juliette was finally able to go home two months later and returned to school in person the following January. It was the start of her high school career, a journey she thought may never happen. Going back to school was nerve-wracking, but Juliette slowly found her way back, engaging with her friends and getting involved in new activities. 

Today, Juliette is a sophomore and has found a new passion for volunteering at her church. Her story is one of resilience – Juliette fought against the odds with the help of a medical team that never gave up on her. 

Though Juliette faced unimaginable struggles, she is once again smiling, reading, walking with her friends and finding joy in simply being a kid. And through it all, her family remains grateful to the team at Valley Children's who made Juliette’s recovery possible. 

“As a parent, when you are faced with unthinkable circumstances for your child, you can only hope that you are doing all you can to help them. When I couldn’t help my daughter, Valley Children’s did. They are the team that saved my daughter’s life and for that and their sincere support, I will remain forever grateful.”