Survivor gives preemies a fighting chance at St. Joseph’s

Cameron T. Haselhorst has fought for his life three times and won, beginning on the day he was born weighing a mere 2 pounds. With round-the-clock care in the nursery intensive care unit (NICU) at Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Cameron thrived and, before long, he was able to join his parents and older brother at their home in the East Valley.

The little boy’s health was tested a second time when he was 3, suffering with a lung condition that left him with a 5 percent chance of survival. True to his nature, though, Cameron never stopped fighting. His doctors never stopped trying to save him either, which is why his family has never stopped paying gratitude to St. Joseph’s Hospital.

For the past 11 years, Cameron’s family and friends have organized an annual fundraiser—including kids’ entertainment and a golf tournament—supporting the NICU at St. Joseph’s. With the help of his parents, Tiffany and Joshua, his grandparents, Marilyn and Merle Ehelbracht, and countless others, the group has donated more than $100,000 to ensure other premature infants receive the highest quality care they need to survive and thrive like Cameron.

St. Joseph’s NICU serves as the first home to nearly 800 severely ill infants each year. With generous support from Cameron’s family and other donors in the community, the hospital continues to evolve to meet the needs of all babies as well as mothers-to-be—throughout pregnancy, delivery and beyond.

Toward that end, St. Joseph’s recently announced partnership in a newly created network—Arizona Mother-Baby Care—designed to provide women and infants with access to top physicians and coordinated services throughout pregnancy and after delivery. John Elliott, MD, an internationally recognized authority in maternal-fetal medicine who has long been affiliated with St. Joseph’s, will serve as the network’s medical director.