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Isaac’s Story…

In March of 2001 Maria and I were married and in April we moved from Michigan to Florida to begin working with a camp just outside of Orlando, Florida.  We were surprised in May with the discovery that my wife was pregnant, but overjoyed at the thought of starting our family. 

Being first time parents, we read every book that we could find on pregnancy.  We avoided caffeine, took vitamins and ate a healthy diet. The pregnancy progressed normally, and every indication was that we were going to have a healthy baby.  Even the ultrasound revealed nothing out of the ordinary; our child had a strong heartbeat and was very active.  From the kicking and rolling he did in the womb, both Maria and I were convinced that our child was destined to be a gymnast.

In December of 2001, our first child, Isaac William Rudesill, was born at 7 lbs. 1 oz.  I stood next to my wife, counting (and wiggling) his little toes as the doctors and nurses worked to clean him up.  Then, suddenly, one of the doctors told me to stand back.  Puzzled, I moved back.  One of the men scooped up Isaac, ordered my wife to kiss him and then whisked him out of the room without an explanation.  My wife and I were confused, but we had been told that Isaac was healthy, so we weren’t too concerned.

Isaac was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit where an echocardiogram revealed a heart condition called “Transposition of the Greater Vessels”.  This condition results in the pulmonary and systemic circulations each receiving blood from the wrong side of the heart.  This defect can prevent enough oxygen from reaching the tissues, so the skin has a bluish cast and is often fatal if not corrected surgically soon after birth.

Just five hours after he was born, Isaac was placed on Medflight and sent to the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at the Tampa Children’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida.  Maria and I followed when we could, and by the time we arrived, Isaac’s condition had deteriorated to the point that a catheter was placed in his heart to keep oxygen in his body.  He was stable, for the time being.

The doctors and nurses at Tampa Children’s Hospital were wonderful, and they took the time to explain in detail what was wrong with Isaac, and what would be needed to correct the problem.  Isaac, at three days old, would undergo open-heart surgery to repair his heart.  Our parents flew down to support us, but looking back, I don’t think either of us has ever felt more alone.

Maria and I stood over him, the night before his surgery, singing to him and gently stroking his forehead, the only part of him not covered in tubes and sensors.  Near midnight we returned to the Ronald McDonald house to try to sleep.   We returned to the hospital early in the morning to be with Isaac.  We were both haunted by the fact that our son might die and we would never have the opportunity to hold him… 

The surgery took place on December 19^th, and my wife and our families spent a great deal of time in prayer, waiting for the updates on our son’s progress.  I think I aged ten years as I watched the hours slip by.  The nurses came out to report that all was going well.  Finally, Dr. Morell, our surgeon came into the room with a big smile on his face.  The surgery was a success, better, in fact, than expected.  My wife and I wept with relief.

We were cautioned, however, that Isaac was not out of the woods, yet.  But, with each passing day, another set of tubes, another monitor were removed.  He cried for the first time, a sound which I will always remember.  His voice was hoarse and rough from the respirator tubes that had just been taken out, but his little squeak was the most beautiful sound I have ever heard.

During this time, we began to talk with Dr. Morell.  He is a soft-spoken man and we were always encouraged by him when we were discussing Isaac’s progress.  As my son improved, Dr. Morell began to ask us about our personal life.  When he found out that we were both actively working in camping, Dr. Morell asked if we had ever considered running a "cardiac camp", a place where all of the children had the same scars on their chests.  At that time, Maria and I had already decided we needed to move back to the Midwest so that Isaac could be raised near family, but the idea has stayed with us since that time.

On December 27^th, Isaac finally came home…

Since that time, Maria and I have been talking about Dr. Morell’s idea.  Even though the organization we worked with was wonderfully supportive, their regular Summer Camp programs would never be able to accommodate a child like Isaac.  Though my son is healthy and happy, he will need a camping program where specialists are on hand to deal with any issues that might arise, a place where all the children have scars like his and a program tailored to meet his own unique circumstances.

After researching the programs offered in the Midwest, we found only one Summer Camp open to the general public for children with cardiac conditions.  At the time, that camp could only accommodates 50 campers and lasted only one week.  In addition, there are no camping programs designed to work with the families of children with cardiac conditions.

To this end, Maria and I decided to build or work with a camp designed to accommodate the thousands of children with life-threatening conditions throughout the Midwest, their families and other “Special Needs” campers.  Our mission is to provide a safe camping environment which will allow children with many different special needs to have a happy, normal childhood experience while still receiving the care and support their conditions require.

- Barry J. Rudesill

Crossroads Medical Outreach  *  2750 Bible Camp Road  Suite 2  *  Rhinelander, WI  54501

(715) 203 - 0504  *  program@crossroadsmedical.org