Aron and Blythe Dody of Emporia are counting their blessings. Through good pre-natal care and the diligence of doctors, the life of their second child, Landon Dody was saved.
The Dody’s first child, Lawson, was stillborn in Jan. 2006. The first annual Lawson T. Dody Memorial Walk at Emporia State University was held in April to honor the memory of Lawson.
Landon has some health problems, but doctors’ instincts saved his life. Landon was born Friday, Jan. 19 at 37 1/2 weeks via emergency caesarian section after he failed his non-stress test, which monitors the baby’s heartbeat, Aron Dody said.
“We (went) in twice a week for a non-stress test,” Dody said.
Dody said the couple was supposed to go in on Thursday, but they couldn’t match their schedules, so they did it on Friday. That decision saved Landon’s life. During the Friday appointment, Landon failed both his non-stress test and his biophysical profile. An emergency c-section was immediately scheduled.
“Thank goodness we couldn’t make that appointment on Thursday,” Dody said. Dody added that if they would have made their Thursday appointment and everything was fine, the next appointment would have been the following week, which would have been too late for Landon, who wouldn’t have survived that long in the womb.
When Landon was born on Jan. 19, everything seemed fine.
“He was fine,” Dody said. “His heart rate was fine, his respiratory rate was fine but his color was a little bad and he was a little pale.”
But things aren’t always what they seem. In the next 12 hours, Landon would lose over half his blood due to bleeding in his small intestine. Landon’s hemoglobin count plummeted, and he was transferred to Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka at 3 a.m. on Jan. 20. By 4 a.m., Landon was in surgery. Part of his small intestine had died early on in pregnancy. When the rest of the intestine started growing, it had wrapped around the dead spot, Dody said.
“When they did the emergency c-section, it started bleeding in there,” Dody said.
At first, the surgeon at Stormont-Vail gave Landon’s parents little hope that he would live.
“He came in and said ‘there’s probably nothing we can do,’” Dody said.
The surgeon said that Landon needed a minimum amount of intestine to survive. He was doubtful that Landon would have that much left. But, once surgery was done and part of the intestine was removed, it was discovered that there would be enough intestine left for Landon to survive on.
“It was quite a roller coaster for a while,” Dody said.
Landon had to be given a lot of blood because he had lost so much and he had to be on a respirator. Dody said each day they keep getting better news. Landon now is off the respirator.
“He’s doing great,” Dody said. “His color is much better. He’s alert and active now.”
Landon will remain in Stormont-Vail for the next several weeks so doctors can monitor him. The next challenge is seeing if Landon can sustain nutrition on his own, rather than through a feeding tube.
For approximately the first eight months of his life, Landon will have to have a colonoscopy bag.
“After his intestines have grown enough, they’ll go back and reattach the small intestine,” Dody said.
Doctors also were able to save the valve that goes from the small intestine to the large intestine. This valve prevents food from going directly from small intestine to the large one. Nutrition is absorbed in the small intestine and the valve allows the food to stay in the intestine longer, Dody said.
Dody said he is very thankful for the hospital in Topeka.
“This place is unbelievable up here,” he said. “The people are so nice and the facilities are state of the art. They’re going to do everything they can do to take care of (Landon).”
Dody said the couple will stay up in Topeka for the most part over the next several weeks. A fund has been set up in Landon’s name at Emporia State Federal Credit Union to help offset some of the travel expenses Blythe and Aron Dody will incur.
“What a blessing,” Aron Dody said. “People are just so generous. It’s just kind of a huge relief that we don’t have to worry about financially making trips. We’re really blessed. We feel it. We know it. We ask everyone to pray for us...just continue to pray.”
Donations to the Landon Dody Fund can be sent to or dropped off at the Emporia State Federal Credit Union at 310 W. 12th Ave., Emporia, KS 66801. Visit Landon’s web site at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/landondody.
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