Idaho family says Primary Children’s Hospital nurse was crucial in getting baby to breathe

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — When baby Revie Moala was born, her parents knew something was wrong.

But doctors reassured the family that their little girl, despite being a couple weeks early and only weighing 4 pounds, was healthy and sent her home.

“I knew from the moment she came out, something was up but we didn’t know what and the feeling never went away,” Brittainy Moala said about her third baby.

For weeks the Moala’s, who live in Rigby, Idaho, fought for doctors to run tests on baby Revie. Finally she was referred to Primary Children’s Hospital, where Revie was diagnosed with blindness in her right eye.

Doctors performed a laser eye surgery and ran additional tests which revealed Revie 4Q Deletion and Duplication syndrome, a rare syndrome.

“She needed early intervention to stop the damage and give her the best chance at potential vision one day,” Moala said. “Thank goodness that they looked and we were able to save what we could right now.”

Revie spent three weeks in the hospital recovering from multiple surgeries. In that time, her family became close with their PICU nurse, Kevin Fazendin.

“I knew, as soon as I saw Revie, she was a fighter,” Fazendin said.

Fazendin said it was a challenge to ensure Revie received the proper care with how small she was.

“Revie had the smallest breathing tube that is made,” he said. “There’s no smaller one. For multiple days, we had to try to extubate her- and that failed, so we had to reintubate her, and try both methods few more times. As a result, our team had to place the smaller tube until her swelling decreased and we were able to protect the tube in her airway the whole time without any complications.”

Fazendin said in the 12 years of being a respiratory therapist and a nurse he had only put in one tube that size. 

“That’s how uncommon this is. A lot of the staff at the PICU had never seen such a small tube and we had to ensure it wasn’t moved with the multiple procedures Revie had,” he said. 

Fazendin was able to get the new breathing tube in without zero complications, which was a victory not only for the PICU staff but also Revie’s family.

“Day after day I got to know the family, and see what they go through and kind of alter everything where I can help them and help Revie,” Fazendin said. 

The bond he and Revie’s family gained during her time in the hospital is one the Moala’s will forever cherish.

“I expect here [at the hospital] for people to care for my daughter but for them to love her is something completely different and he did that,” Moala said. 

The family continues to travel to Primary Children’s Hospital for monthly checkups.