FSU Kickoff Kid

In March 2023, Oliver’s mother, Whitley, was admitted to the Tallahassee Memorial Alexander D. Brickler, MD Women’s Pavilion after developing preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure. Her care team hoped to safely continue the pregnancy as long as possible, but after one week, changes in Oliver’s heart rate led to an emergency cesarean section.

Oliver was born on March 14, more than two months before his May 20 due date, and he was immediately taken to our Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the region's only Level III NICU. During his five weeks in the NICU, he received respiratory support while the team helped him grow stronger and learn to eat on his own.

Oliver’s parents, Evan and Whitley Whyte, were especially grateful for the NICU team’s encouragement of kangaroo care, or skin-to-skin contact. His nurses helped them become comfortable holding their tiny newborn against their bare chests, even while he was connected to tubes and medical equipment.

Respiratory therapists supported the development of his lungs, while music therapy helped him become more comfortable with sounds, touch and other sensory experiences.

After going home from the hospital, Oliver returned to TMH’s NICU Follow-Up Clinic to ensure he was gaining weight and reaching important developmental milestones. Today, Oliver is a healthy, active 3-year-old. A former TMH "Tiny Nole," he has already decided to attend Florida State University when he grows up.

On December 17, 2018, Kelli Vogel went into labor unexpectedly at just 33 weeks pregnant. Wyatt was born that same day at the Tallahassee Memorial Alexander D. Brickler, MD Women’s Pavilion, almost two months before his January due date.

Weighing just 3 pounds, 12 ounces, Wyatt was admitted to our Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where he spent four weeks growing stronger and learning how to eat on his own. During his stay, Wyatt also participated in a music therapy study that used a pacifier-activated lullaby to encourage feeding skills. His family remembers how the NICU team made them feel like an important part of Wyatt’s growth and care, encouraging them to be involved every step of the way—from bottle feedings to even giving him his very first bath as a tiny NICU baby.

Bringing Wyatt home after four weeks was a milestone his family will never forget. Today, Wyatt is a happy, healthy 7-year-old and thriving as a second-grader.

When Becki Walenz’s water broke in the middle of the night, she was only 27 weeks pregnant and still nearly three months away from her due date. A few days later, on March 15, 2019, Jonah was delivered by emergency c-section at the Tallahassee Memorial Alexander D. Brickler, MD Women's Pavilion.

Jonah was transferred our Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, weighing just 2 pounds, 5 ounces, and his first days were filled with uncertainty. Soon after birth, one of his lungs collapsed, and his care team became concerned when he was unable to eat. Exploratory surgery revealed a small hole in his stomach. The opening was repaired by longtime general surgeon Jeffrey Crooms, MD. Scar tissue was also removed and a feeding tube was placed so Jonah could receive nutrition while he healed.

The weeks that followed included blood transfusions, respiratory care and many small steps toward learning to eat from a bottle. Jonah remained in the region's only Level III NICU for 10 weeks. His parents, Sam and Becki, spent their days by his side and called each evening to hear the latest update on his weight and feeding progress. Even the smallest gains gave them hope.

During that time, Jonah’s nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists and music therapists became an important part of the family’s support system. By the time Jonah was strong enough to go home, he weighed 5 pounds, 14 ounces—more than twice his birth weight.

Seven years later, Jonah is tall, talkative and constantly moving. Aside from the scars on his stomach, including the one his family affectionately calls his “second belly button,” there is little indication of how delicate of a NICU baby he was at birth.

In July 2025, 9-year-old Kandyce Bailey began showing signs that something was seriously wrong. Her mother noticed she was sweating heavily, struggling to stay alert and experiencing several other concerning symptoms. By the time she arrived at the Tallahassee Memorial Children’s Center, her blood sugar was dangerously high, and she was diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA, a life-threatening complication that also led to a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes.

Kandyce was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), where she spent five days receiving insulin, fluids and around-the-clock monitoring. As her care team worked to stabilize her blood sugar, they also helped Kandyce and her mother, Shandra, adjust to a diagnosis that would change their daily lives.

Before leaving the hospital, Kandyce’s family learned how to count carbohydrates, monitor her glucose levels, administer short- and long-acting insulin and plan meals that would help keep her healthy. The team took time to answer questions and made sure the family was prepared. They also helped make Kandyce’s stay less overwhelming by bringing her activities, coloring books and other ways to get out of her room and stay encouraged.

Since returning home, Kandyce has continued her care with Larry Deeb, MD of TMH Physician Partners - Endocrinology. She and her family are still learning, adjusting and making healthier choices together, but Kandyce continues to approach each day with strength.