Video technology allows Children's Minnesota specialists to help save Wisconsin baby

ST. CROIX FALLS, Wis. – For most of us, technology provides convenience. But for a western Wisconsin family, technology was a true lifesaver.

Colton and Emily Gordon love St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin.

"I just like nature a lot, and it's just right there," Colton said.

It's where they choose to plant roots and grow their family. Their daughter Roselyn was born in April at a local hospital.

"It's that same feeling I had with my son, just like this overwhelming like surge of emotion where you're like so happy," Emily said.

But a day later, deep happiness turned to deep fear. Rose started taking shallow breaths.

"It's scary, you know. You have this little, tiny, fragile newborn baby and then they whisk her away and you're just kind of feeling deflated," she said.

Rose's lung had collapsed. Her doctor needed to drain her lung with a needle, which is a specialized procedure. So she used new video technology that connects to a specialist at Children's Minnesota in Minneapolis in less than five minutes.

Dr. Mark Bergeron helped pioneer the program.

"I have every confidence that her doctor would have been able to [do the procedure], but we gave her the confidence to do it and do it in a timely way," Bergeron said.  

He explained how this technology bridges rural practitioners with specialists who resuscitate babies daily.

"When you're doing something like that when time matters and you want to do it right, and you only get one chance, how great would it be to have somebody who's an expert at it guiding you through the steps," Bergeron said. "And that's where we saw the real value is collaborating with the local providers."  

He says he'd like to think this partnership has "saved lives." And little Rose is now living her best life.

"She loves people, she sleeps good," Emily said.

"She loves her older brother," Colton said.

Another big advantage is that doctors can start specialized treatment immediately instead of waiting hours to be transported to the Twin Cities.

Children's Minnesota is teaming up with more hospitals to get specialized medicine into more rural areas.