Submitted photo
Hadlee Hosler, of McAlisterville, enjoys an ice cream cone.
MCALISTERVILLE – Three- and four-year-olds are often described as sour patch kids. According to experts, they draw you in with sweet cuddles and kisses and an “I love you (insert Mommy or Daddy).”
Without warning, they turn sour. This sour about-face is something as simple as giving them exactly what they asked for.
Hadlee Hosler, who is a mere 2 ½-years-old, has been a bit of a challenge since the day she entered the world, according to her mom, Kayla Huffman.
“She is crazy and very energetic,” Kayla explained. “I call her my sour patch kid. She can be hugging you, telling you she loves you, but she can also be smacking you.”
In other words, Hadlee can be very sweet one minute and very mean the next. It’s all part of growing up for the McAlisterville toddler.
Kayla and Hadlee’s father, Shane Hosler, feel fortunate just to have their daughter alive after a terrifying medical episode during a family vacation to Florida in March.
As a result of the expected medical bills and lost wages due to Kayla and Shane being out of work for a month to care for their daughter, the Reedsville Lutheran Church, 200 E. Logan St., Reedsville, is holding a “Help for Hadlee Benefit Breakfast and Basket Raffle” from 7 to 11 a.m. Saturday.
The all-you-can-eat breakfast will have pancakes, fried potatoes, scrambled eggs and fruit salad. Coffee, water, tea and juice will also be served. The cost is $10 per person, with children 5 and under eating for free. Proceeds will also cover the family hotel stay and travel expenses.
The family traveled to the Sunshine State to visit relatives in Winter Garden and several nearby theme parks.
Hadlee wasn’t feeling particularly well before the family was scheduled to leave. “We had her in the ER less than two days before we flew out because we wanted to make sure she didn’t have any ear infections and that her lungs were clear ,” Kayla explained.
“It came back that she had the flu and we mentioned leaving for vacation,” she added. “They (medical staff) said since she had been sick for a while and as long as she didn’t have fever or stomach issues 24 hours prior, that it should be fine.”
But that wasn’t the case. During the March 6 flight Hadlee started breathing heavily and she only got worse. “She was moaning with every breath she took,” Kayla recalled. “When we landed, we took her straight to the ER.
“The altitude made it harder for her to breathe,” she added. “The oxygen isn’t 100 percent when flying.”
This time, Hadlee was diagnosed with double pneumonia and was placed on oxygen. The ER facility the family went to did not admit patients, so Hadlee was transferred to Advent Health Orlando.
Hadlee was found to be in respiratory failure, with hypoxia, when the ambulance brought her to the hospital. Hadlee was given a full oxygen mask, the next morning doctors placed her first chest tube and several days later, a picc line.
On March 16, surgeon’s removed the chest tube, used a camera to clean the lung and place a new chest tube. They also found her heart rate was running high on March 18 as a result of her left lung fully collapsing. Hadlee had developed a pneumothorax from the damage caused by the necrotizing pneumonia.
Before they did surgery, doctors tried a drug called TPA, which is typically used on stroke patients to try and break up any potential blood clots.
“It was horrible to watch,” Kayla said. “They would inject the drug with 40ML of fluid straight into the chest, while keeping the tube clamped for an hour. “We could hear and feel the fluid, she was miserable.”
A month later, Hadlee has almost fully recovered, except for a lack of strength in her knees.
“She’s doing really well actually,” Kayla said of the 27-day ordeal. “She laid there almost an entire month. It was definitely a traumatizing experience.
“She is still on antibiotics and has to be careful to avoid large groups,” she added. “She won’t make it to the breakfast.”
The family vacation wasn’t all for naught, Hadlee’s older brother, Jensin, 8, still went to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom theme park and Gatorland as the family wanted to keep him distracted so he wouldn’t worry too much.
“We’d like to thank anyone who has donated, prayed or thought of us during this difficult time. “ Kayla said.
Tickets purchased in advance will include one free raffle entry. For more information, call (717) 348-3207 or (717) 513-7140 or stop in at Lerch RV, 70 Commerce Drive, Milroy, to buy advance tickets.
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