Parents use daughter’s health scare to speak out and educate others

CARLYLE — What started as a health scare for the daughter of Hannah and Dylan Brownlee has turned into them wanting to use their experience to educate others.

“Everly is a spunky little girl,” said Hannah Brownlee. “She loves to make people laugh. She is soft spoken, but once you get her talking, she just talks and talks. Everly loves to sing and dance. She thinks everyone is her best friend.”

Brownlee first noticed something was wrong on June 4.

“At first, I thought she just had the flu. But the thing that set off my first alarm was when, at 9 p.m. the day she got sick, I realized she had not used the bathroom at all that day, but she didn’t have any accidents. I thought that was weird,” said Brownlee. “I thought she must be dehydrated. When I woke Everly up to check on her, that was when I knew something was wrong.”

This was when Brownlee and her partner took Everly to the doctor in Arcola, thinking she just needed some fluids.

“When we woke her up, Everly was disoriented and couldn’t really stand up. Her pupils were going crazy, (and) she was communicating with us, but she seemed like she was struggling. We found out later she was having a seizure,” said Brownlee.

When they got to the health centre the nurses knew something was immediately wrong.

“The nurses could tell from the panic in my voice that something wasn’t right,” said Brownlee.

Although the nurses tried to give Everly fluids. she threw them up.

 “She couldn't keep anything down,” said Brownlee.

When the nurses were putting in the IV, Everly barely reacted and fell back asleep.

Although they tried giving Everly antibiotics and some Gravol, the doctors and nurses could not figure out what was wrong.

After doing some chest x-rays and more vitals, the doctors called an ambulance to take Everly to Regina.

Upon arriving at the emergency room at Regina General Hospital, the doctors thought it was something with Everly’s brain. They hoped to let her sleep it off and moved the Brownlees up to the pediatric unit after a few tests.

They then moved the Brownlees into the ICU for more tests before flying them to Saskatoon for more tests.

Upon arriving at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon, the doctors did a lumbar puncture to test for bacterial meningitis and did an MRI.

“That was when they told us they found a significant amount of infection cells in her spinal fluid,” said Brownlee.

“I don't think I realized how intense everything was until after because even after when we were in Regina, I was sure we were going to go home the next day,” continued Brownlee. “I was already making plans and told my boss I would be gone for one day. When we were moved to Saskatoon, I was confused why they couldn't figure out what was going on with her. When they said bacterial meningitis, the name itself doesn't sound scary, so I didn't think it was that serious. So, when they told us that's what it was, I had a sinking feeling."

 

A frightening whirlwind

The next few weeks became a whirlwind for the Brownlees.

“Over the next few weeks, it still took time to process how scary it was and how close we were to losing her,” said Brownlee.

The Brownlees were moved back to Regina General around June 9 so they could be closer to home as Everly recovered.

Everly was then discharged from there on the 16th.

Since then, Everly has had multiple hearing, eye, and brain tests, mostly in Regina.

A social worker in Saskatoon coordinated more appointments in Saskatoon on July 21 and 22. It was at those appointments that they confirmed Everly’s hearing loss was severe enough that she would need surgery on the 25th for a cochlear implant.

 Everly was then discharged from JPCH on June 26.

When asked, the doctors were unsure of how Everly caught bacterial meningitis and said it will take a while for Everly to feel close to her new normal.

Over the next year, Everly will continue to have monthly checkups on her ear, will need speech and language therapy, as well as pediatrician and neurologist appointments.

“Hopefully, after that, they can start spreading them out three, and then nine months apart," said Brownlee.

At this time, doctors and nurses are unsure how this diagnosis will affect Everly in the future.

“They said we don't know the effects right now,” said Brownlee.

“She has made a good recovery, and they said it's because we brought her in when we did,” said Brownlee.

This includes Everly’s mental state going forward.

“They won't know how it will affect her mentally yet. I noticed more emotional regression than anything. I think she was traumatized from the experience. She is a lot more anxious, and she prefers to be carried. She sometimes talks like a baby, but if I ask her to say it properly, she will. I don’t think much of it is permanent, but we don't know yet," said Brownlee.

 

Everly loves books

To help the Brownlees keep Everly entertained in the hospital Jessee Palmer approached Brownlees while in the Ronald McDonald house about doing what became Everly’s Book-Raiser.

“Many people in our town have given to us. I am trying to let them if that's what they want to do,’ said Brownlee. “If the roles were reversed, I'd want to do it for other people.”

“I thought it was a great idea. Everly loves books, so it made sense,” continued Brownlee.

Everly received just over half from the wish list and made just over $1,000 in sales.

“Obviously, it won't all go to us,” said Brownlee. “But with those sales, she will also get to pick out some new books. This will give her something to do in the hospital stays.”

Brownlee thinks books are what Everly will gravitate towards.

“Even when she is playing with toys, she goes for the doctor toys. I think it's a kid’s way of processing that trauma and experiencing it from a different side,” said Brownlee.

Brownlee wants to take a second to thank everyone who has reached out and helped in any way.

“We are thankful to all the people who have reached out and supported us. People who we didn’t expect to show up for us did,” said Brownlee.