It is the most unthinkable turn of events in a parent’s life; the sudden loss of a child. It means a life of adjustments and acceptance. Adjusting to a house that is quieter and lonelier, and accepting that those eagerly anticipated milestones throughout their child’s precious, deserving life will never happen.
Zebb Spencer Buehrer was born on September 28, 2016, to a loving family. His parents, Daniel and Hannah, and big brother, Brandon, were ecstatic to bring healthy Zebb home. Hannah returned to work in December – sooner than she had anticipated – and Zebb began staying with a babysitter.
And then, all too close to the holidays, on December 21, 2016, the unthinkable happened. Hannah received a call from a 911 dispatcher at work around lunch time. Zebb’s babysitter had positioned him on her own child’s bed in a swaddle with pillows used to prop him up. Zebb had rolled over, off of the pillows, leading to accidental suffocation. He was eventually transferred to Parkview Regional Medical Center (PRMC) after initially being evaluated at Bryan Hospital.
As a Registered Medical Assistant, Hannah had always worn her scrubs to work at Parkview Physicians Group (PPG) in Bryan, Ohio – it was nothing new. Except for this time when she showed up in her scrubs at PRMC, she was standing with a patient all too close to her heart, Zebb.
Due to a lack of oxygen, Zebb’s health began to decline and he was taken to PRMC’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). “The staff and physicians were great. They were very comforting, supporting, and willing to do anything for us. That is why I love working at Parkview. There is always somebody to help you in any situation,” Hannah said.
When doctors told Daniel and Hannah that the swelling on Zebb’s brain was too severe, the decision was made on December 23 to remove the ventilator. Twelve-week-old Zebb passed away that day at 2:25 p.m.
Today, the Buehrer family finds ways to remember their son by donating through the Parkview Foundation. To honor Zebb, and to thank PRMC’s dedicated staff, the Buehrer family asks that family and friends donate as many toys and stuffed animals as they can each year on their son’s birthday. The couple donates some of the gifts to PRMC’s PICU department and the remainder to Bryan Hospital’s New Beginnings Birthing Center, where Zebb was born.
The Buehrer family now has a precious four-month-old daughter and continues to honor Zebb by gifting to other young patients and educating other parents. “We want people to be aware of safe sleeping methods and the ‘dos and don’ts’ associated with it so that no other family has to go through what we went through.”
If you are interested in donating through the Parkview Foundations, please visit www.Parkview.com/Donate or, if you would like to learn more about safe sleep methods, you can search for a Parkview Safe Sleep Class near you.
