Emergency Visit Helps 12-Year-Old Avoid Serious Complications

When a sharp stomach pain stopped 12-year-old Kaylee in her tracks earlier this year, her mother, Franklin County resident Carissa Melvin, knew something wasn't right.

Carissa brought Kaylee to the Emergency Department at Anderson County Hospital. She thought the pain in her daughter's side was likely something minor. However, it turned out to be serious. 

"The staff did blood work and a CT scan," Carissa says. "We were told it was her appendix and it would have to be taken out."

Anissa Sell, APRN, was the board-certified nurse practitioner on staff the night Carissa and Kaylee came to the Emergency Department. When Anissa found the cause of the problem was appendicitis, a condition where the appendix becomes inflamed and causes pain, she reassured Kaylee everything would be OK.

Rapid treatment is important in the case of an appendicitis. If left untreated, the appendix can burst, releasing bacteria into the body.

“Most kids get pretty nervous, so we did a lot of reassuring and education,” Anissa says. “I think sometimes kids do better when they know what to expect.”

Anissa also credits Carissa for providing her daughter with constant reassurance, helping to keep Kaylee calm as the emergency care team figured out next steps. 

“Kids take cues from their parents, but neither she nor her mom seemed anxious, which I think really helped. It makes a big difference when parents are on board and supportive of what we’re doing,” Anissa says. “I’m well versed in taking care of kids, so I talked to her to keep her calm, but she was a very sweet girl.”

With the minutes ticking and the need for an emergency appendix removal surgery, Anissa worked with Anderson County EMS to quickly transfer Kaylee and her mother to Children’s Mercy Hospital—an hour and a half away—to receive the critical care she needed.

Alex Dennison, advanced emergency medical technician (AEMT), operated the ambulance that took Kaylee and her mother from Anderson County Hospital to the children’s hospital for surgery.

“We have a stuffed animal we keep on the truck to give to kids because it can be scary if they’ve never been in an ambulance before,” Alex says. 

All emergency medical technicians and paramedics receive specialized pediatric training as part of their certification process, including communication with age-appropriate language, building trust quickly, and using distraction techniques like toys.

According to Alex, most parents ride in the ambulance with their child instead of following them to the hospital, which helps keep the child calm.

"Having a parent ride along in the ambulance is always helpful," he says. "A parent can provide comfort for their child and is right there to answer any questions we have about the child or their medical history."

Within just a few hours of arriving at Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kaylee underwent an emergency appendectomy—and thanks to quick care and smooth recovery, she was soon back to her energetic self.

“Kaylee was back to her normal self that weekend and out on a lake playing,” Carissa says. “I love going to Anderson County. The staff listens to me when I advocate for my child.”

Backed by Saint Luke’s, Anderson County Hospital is staffed 24/7 with emergency experts. Our board-certified emergency medicine physicians and advanced practice providers, like Anissa, deliver lifesaving treatments with an unwavering dedication to excellent patient care. 

In addition to stabilizing and treating both children and adults with serious medical conditions, Anderson County Hospital’s Emergency Department is designated as a Level IV Trauma Center by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). This means our team is specially trained in Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) and can provide initial evaluation, stabilization, diagnostics, and treatment for children and adults with serious injuries and, when necessary, transfer the patient to a trauma center with a higher-level designation.

Explore more about emergency services at Anderson County Hospital.

If you have an emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Department.