Testimonial
Paula Gunder - Perinatal Services
 Paula, 25-weeks pregnant with twins, went in for a routine doctor’s appointment. Much to her surprise, her doctor discovered she was going into premature labor and sent her straight to Lakeland Regional Medical Center.
Panicked, Paula’s husband rushed to the hospital to meet her. The second surprise came when he got locked in an elevator on the way up. At first, the doctors told the Gunders they wanted Paula to try and hold out for a week. Paula thought, “A week? I can’t stay here a week. That’s so long!” She stayed for seven and a half. “We kind of moved in,” Paula describes. Her mom kept her busy with crafts like stamping and scrap booking. Her husband spent many nights sleeping on a mattress on the floor and brought videotapes, DVDs and books. “I had a whole video library in the closet.” Still, seven weeks is a long time to be in the hospital. Fortunately, says Paula, “The nurses were out of this world. If not for them, I would have lost my mind. They brought me magazines and ice cream and chatted with me. I got to know them very well. The doctors and nurses even threw me a party when I made it to 32-weeks.” Soon after, Paula was able to return home. But there was another surprise waiting for her. Paula saw her doctor for another routine appointment, and, again, she was sent straight over to the hospital. “I was so upset that I had to go back,” recalls Paula. But this trip to LRMC was different. To her delight, Paula was surprised with a baby shower thrown by all of the nurses complete with food, cake and gifts. “I’d never had a surprise party. It really touched me.” At 34-weeks, Paula came in to deliver – but not without one more surprise. After the birth of the first twin, Paula tried to sleep while her family left to get some food. Later on, the nurse, Karen, monitoring Paula, saw that the second twin’s heart rate was dropping rapidly. Paula was raced to the operating room for an emergency caesarian. After delivery, newborns Grace and Grant had to endure a brief stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Then - to the relief of both of their parents - they were ready to go home. Making it possible for our community to have the finest health care close to home is a priority for LRMC. And, the LRMC Foundation is proud to say we’ve had a hand in keeping moms like Paula and their babies safe during the entire labor process by providing the best equipment available. And as for the Gunders…seven months later, Paula’s twins are happy, healthy and up to speed on all their development. Not a surprising result - due to the great staff and great care available at Lakeland Regional Medical Center.
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