Callie’s Story

Callie Anne Gauker was born soon thereafter. At 26 weeks and one day, she weighed a tiny one pound, nine ounces.

Due to her size and premature birth, Callie needed a breathing tube, ventilator and nasogastric feeding tube (Read Callie’s full story). Over time, her condition stabilized and she gained weight, but she still faced ongoing respiratory challenges. After a few months, Jodi and her husband, Lee, turned to Good Shepherd:

By March 2015, Callie was well enough to begin the next leg of her journey – rehabilitation. Lee and Jodi brought her to Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital Pediatric Unit in Bethlehem, where Callie was admitted.

“We chose Good Shepherd for Callie’s rehabilitation because it was close to home, and we felt it was much more in line with a family-friendly atmosphere while still providing exceptional care,” says Jodi. “After our first visit with the staff, we knew that it was a welcoming place where Callie would get the time and treatment she needed before she could come home to us.”

During her inpatient stay at the Pediatric Unit, Callie’s care team coordinated physical, occupational, speech and recreational therapy to help her recover and reach developmental milestones. The team also began weaning her off the ventilator settings and taught Lee and Jodi everything they needed to know about the trach, giving them the confidence to take their baby home, knowing they could care for her.

Three months later, Callie went home to the family farm in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, and began outpatient therapy with Good Shepherd Physical Therapy.