Ricardo Martinez: Parents on Care Teams Make the Difference

Liver and small intestine transplant patient Ricardo Martinez and his mother, Lilia

Ricardo Martinez was born eight weeks early with an undetected intestinal torsion, or twisting. Plagued by infections and a belly swelled to 45 centimeters, Ricky needed several surgeries at his hospital in Madera, California. There, doctors discovered and repaired his torsion and removed several perforated sections of his intestine. With only a fraction of his intestine left, Ricky had to be fed by total parenteral nutrition, which gradually devastated his liver. A few months later, he hemorrhaged during a liver biopsy. He was rushed to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, where he was treated and evaluated for a combined liver and intestinal transplant.
 
Less than a month later, Dr. Carlos Esquivel, and his surgical team at Packard successfully replaced Ricky’s liver and small intestine. He recovered well until his breathing tube was removed. His mother, Lilia, noticed that he seemed short of breath.
 
Doctors took her concern seriously and called in a team to examine him. Within minutes, he was prepared for another surgery that remedied the problem. “That day they gained my complete trust,” Lilia said. “I liked that they took my opinion seriously. What I said mattered.” These days, Ricardo lives and eats like any other healthy two-year-old. His smile sparkles, and so does his future.
 
Including parents as members of the care team is an essential aspect to expert medicine. Parents know their children’s signs and subtle changes better than anyone. Packard Children’s Family-Centered Care program was developed by transplant experts, and has now grown to encompass every specialty at the hospital. Because no one knows a child better than their parents.