Brendie Heter - A Patient Testimonial

The Heter family has seen their share of medical emergencies, with three very active boys under the age of six. The boys—Cash (5), Miles (2) and Wade (1) – have endless energy and love finding new things to play with every day.

As many parents know, young children with a keen sense of exploration have a knack for being on the receiving end of unforeseen accidents in the home. At times, injuries during the younger years of a child’s life require emergency medical treatment.

Such was the case with brothers Cash and Miles. On one occasion, her oldest son Cash, then only 3-years old, was playing with his one-and-a-half-year-old brother Miles, when an accident occurred in their family home. Brendie Heter, the boys’ mother, was home alone with the boys when she saw Miles grab a pair of scissors from Cash. Within seconds, Miles had seriously damaged one of his fingers. Heter immediately called the paramedics to transport Miles to Henry Mayo’s Emergency Department, where he was seen by a pediatric hand specialist and plastic surgeon.

“The specialists in the Emergency Department (ED) that day saved my son’s finger,” says Heter. “He will have a scar the rest of his life, but has full mobility of his finger. I am so grateful Henry Mayo was just minutes away from our home.”

Another medical emergency involved son Wade, who was 17 months old at the time of his injury. While playing inside the house, Wade fell down twice and hit his head, causing serious complications, including a seizure. He was taken to the ED, just like his brother Miles was taken previously. Upon examination by Henry Mayo’s medical team, it was determined Wade suffered a fracture of his skull.

“The hospital was very thorough with their medical examination of my son,” notes Heter. “The staff at Henry Mayo does a great job. They are caring and compassionate and I always know my kids are in good hands. As a resident of the Santa Clarita Valley, I am thankful our community hospital has the ability to take care of pediatric patients. As a mother, this is reassuring.”

Heter knows first-hand how frightening accidents can be with young children. Experiencing these frightening situations with her own children has encouraged her to help other parents prepare for emergencies.

“After an emergency, kids look to their parents to help process the chaos and stress,” says Heter. “Parents simply must be prepared, not just for medical emergencies but for regional disasters as well.” She adds, “The more prepared parents are, the faster they can reinstate calmness into their child’s world.”

Heter is an author and enjoys public speaking on topics such as home management, debt reduction and emergency preparedness. To learn more about her emergency tips and speaking engagements, visit brendieheter.com.