Grateful Mom of Pediatric ER Patient Visits Physician Who Saved Her Son

When a faulty lid on a medication bottle led to a medical emergency for Caelin Ballew’s two-year-old son Stetson, she knew exactly what to do. As a healthcare worker, she recognized they needed to go to an ER immediately but before they could get there, her son lost consciousness and needed resuscitating in the back seat of their car.

Despite the frightening ride to Cullman Regional ER, Caelin said “Knowing I was heading to an ER where I had full faith in the team on the other side of the door was a good feeling.”

That team on the other side of the door included ER physician Dr. William Wallace, ER Charge Nurse Amanda Freeman, nurses Alicia Williams and Tori McCormick, and respiratory therapist Amber Johnson. It is a list of fellow healthcare professionals that Ballew credits with saving her son’s life.

“Dr. Wallace saved our boy on his first day as an ER physician,” she said. “He was calm, confident, and compassionate. Stetson may be the first kid he ever saved, but he definitely won’t be the last.”

Stetson was eventually transferred to a specialized children’s hospital where he quickly and fully recovered. Dr. Wallace and the rest of Stetson’s care team regularly sent messages and checked on his progress. Then, Caelin and her son went back to Cullman Regional ER to show their appreciation.

“A picture isn’t enough to show the true gratitude we have for the staff at Cullman Regional,” she said. “But being able to walk back through the doors with a happy, healthy child and put smiles on their faces meant the world to us.”