The Sickest Kid in Indiana
Thanks to the care he received at Riley Hospital for Children, Aiden fully recovered and was able finish seventh grade on time.
"I ate some junk food once, but that's about it," says Aiden Hunter, a freshman at Zionsville High School, when asked if he had ever been sick before.
Aiden had zero risk factors for a lightning-fast onset of septic shock. His parents had a front row seat to his body breaking completely down—organ by organ. "Flu followed by pneumonia is a very nasty one-two punch," says Riley Pediatric Critical Care Physician Matt Yuknis, M.D.
It was March 20, 2017, when Aiden arrived at the Emergency Department of Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health. "I thought he was the sickest kid in Indiana, and quite possibly the sickest kid I've ever treated," says Dr. Yuknis, who treated Aiden in the Riley Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. "The body reacts so strongly to the infection, the reaction itself causes a host of issues, including multiple organ failure and acute respiratory distress."
The speed of Aiden's decline was particularly alarming: Aiden was singing at his school's choir concert on Wednesday night and by Sunday evening, he was fully intubated and on ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), the highest level of life support. This support system, partially funded by Riley Children's Foundation donors, does the work of the heart and lungs to give the patient's body a chance to grow stronger and more stable. Aiden was also on constant dialysis to do the work for his kidneys. At one point, his chance of survival was estimated to be about 18 percent.
Aiden spent 32 days at Riley and lost 20 pounds before returning home. Within a month, he made a full recovery and finished seventh grade on time. What happened during those 32 days was an incredible choreography of clinical expertise and care coordination that helped Aiden's body fight its way back.
"Watching the team work was unbelievable," says Aiden's dad, Corey Hunter. "There were three nurses in with Aiden 24/7. During morning rounds, at least 30 people were gathered every day to discuss Aiden's case."
Pulling together an expert team quickly is precisely what makes Riley Hospital special—and what saved Aiden's life. Highly skilled specialists synchronize care to the best that research, technology and innovation can offer.
A planned gift ensures that Riley Hospital can continue to recruit and retain those highly skilled teams of specialists. Care like Aiden received does not happen at every children's hospital, but it happens every day at Riley due in large part to charitable giving.
"I just can't say enough about his team," says Aiden's mom, Carly. "We ran into a nurse who helped transport him here in the ambulance and she started crying when she saw him. She didn't think he was going to make it. They should be proud of what they did."
Learn how you can impact kids like Aiden, and their families, with a planned gift. Contact Alexandra Beach, J.D. at ABeach@RileyKids.org or 317-624-2675 to learn more.
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