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10 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday June 16, 2006 www.oakvillebeaver.com Team Scarlett formed to say thanks for saving daughter Continued from page 1 mother and baby if not treated immediately." HELLP stands for hemolysis, elevated liver enzyme levels and low platelet count. Her blood pressure was extremely high and her white blood cell count had dropped. She was in "grave danger," said Rickards. "She was in the early stages of stroke. "They used to call it toxemia, and the only cure for it is to take the baby out," he said. The Cesarean section was done by 10 p.m. "Kelly spent four days in the ICU (intensive care unit) and "was not able to see her daughter at the time, except for a few grainy pictures taken with a Polaroid in the neo-natal nursery." She came home on July 13. Scarlett, who weighed five pounds at birth and was struggling to breathe, was placed under a CPAP pressurized air machine, for two weeks followed by a week on low-flow oxygen. During that time, her weight had slipped down to four pounds because Spalding, who was heavily medicated at the time, was unable to provide breast milk. For two weeks, Rickards and Spalding took turns going to the hospital to feed Scarlett every three hours. She was fed through a tube. "We watched as she grew stronger and eventually started breathing with less assistance," said Rickards. "Finally, on July 22 we were able to bring our baby girl home." Today, Scarlett is "fabulous," according to her grateful father. "She's not walking yet, but she's full of life and full of energy. She can sit up...because she was premature Scarlett has some muscular, skeletal and nervous system development problems which are delaying her development by two to three months. She's delayed in learning to walk, speak and feed herself," said Rickards. "But, she'll be OK. By the time "The staff at OTMH took such amazing care of our whole family." David Rickards she's five years old you won't be able to tell her apart from her kindergarten classmates. "It's amazing what can be done with a premature baby." He credits the hospital with saving the lives of his wife and daughter. "We're so impressed with the hospital and what the staff has done for us," he said. "The staff at OTMH took such amazing care of our whole family. Not only did they provide the medical assistance necessary, but they provided the emotional support that we needed to help us pull through a very frightening time. "Dr. Todd MacGregor (paediatrician specialist) cared for Scarlett as if she were his own, the nurses in the nursery became close friends and nearly every obstetrician-gynecologist in Oakville wanted to meet Kelly, the famous patient who survived preeclampsia." Rickards said his wife is "doing well and waiting for the all clear" to have a second baby. "Preeclampsia is not common, but because she's had it, her risk of a reoccurrence increases significantly." Rickards has been running for a number of years and has completed a few marathons, and Spalding's first event a few years was the OTMH Classic. They will be pushing Scarlett in a stroller on Sunday. "We started talking about participating in the run about three months ago ­ for me it's the first time as a father ­ and since we started inviting people to run with us we decided to put a team together. "We've invited our team mem- bers to run and walk...to complete the race at their own speed. And, we're planning a finish line celebration." The OTMH Classic, a five-kilometre run and power walk, three-kilometre family walk and one-kilometre fun run for children under 10, starts at 9 a.m., at Wallace Park on Reynolds Street and Sheddon Avenue. Registration is from 7:30 ­ 8:30 a.m. The event will include an OTMH Classic Father's Day Breakfast ­ including strawberries and whipped cream ­ for $5. Tickets will be sold in the main registration tent. Proceeds from the OTMH Classic will go to the ICU. For more information, or to sponsor the Scarlett Striders or any other team, see www.otmhclassic.com. The OTMH Classic is a rain or shine event. ­ Wilma Blokhuis can be reached at blokhuis@haltonsearch.com. THE MOORES SUM M E R SA LE IS ON NOW Solving Problems since 1982 I T ' S T H E O N LY WAY T O B E AT A M O O R E S P R I C E ! Experience is the difference! GAS FIREPLACE Repair and service POOL HEATERS Repair and service 109 139 At East Side Mario's . Oakville Place Mall. . GAS LINES For BBQs, gas stoves, dryers, pool heaters etc. 845-0701 50 % Sport Shirts 19 29 EE! Kids under 10 eataFR t entrée) y dul (with purchase of ever a Each Dad will receive Bucket of Balls e at Oakville Driving Rang and a Complimentary Glass. OAKVILLE PLACE MALL, TRAFALGAR AND Q.E.W. FREE ® WELL MADE. WELL PRICED. WELL DRESSED. call 1-877-MOORES-6 for the store nearest you mooresclothing.com Selection varies by store. RESERVATIONS · (905) 338-6330