Kansas City Celebrates Return of Baby Wells After NICU Ordeal Amidst 911 Delays

Kansas City Welcomes Baby Wells Home After Challenging Start

Kansas City, Missouri – There’s a sense of joy and relief in the air as baby Wells Brown is finally home after spending the first five weeks of his life in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). What should have been a moment of celebration for his family turned into a heart-wrenching ordeal due to delays in emergency response.

His parents, Devin and Jason Brown, left the hospital on Saturday with a mix of emotions. “I’m finally in my baby bliss. After 35 days, I’m finally there,” Devin shared, her eyes sparkling with pride as she cradled baby Wells in her arms. But the road to this moment has been anything but smooth.

The Alarming 911 Call

Wells was born facing serious complications, not breathing at birth while Devin endured a complicated delivery that had her on the brink of significant health risks. In a desperate attempt to get help, family members tried to reach 911 but faced modern frustrations: hold times. They were put on hold not once, but three times.

Devin’s heart sank as she recalled the distressing wait. “It’s just heartbreaking because I know we’re not the only family that’s being affected by this. Someone is not as lucky as us, and a family is missing someone right now because of this. This is unacceptable,” she said, shedding light on a line that should represent hope but instead has become a source of fear for families in need.

Ultimately, it took a family member from Overland Park to successfully contact 911, which led to timely help arriving. “If we hadn’t waited 17 minutes for 911 to be here, oh my goodness, maybe we wouldn’t have been in the NICU for 35 days,” Devin mused. “And maybe we wouldn’t be, you know, talking about what he can and can’t do.”

The Impact of Delayed Responses

As for baby Wells, while he is now home and is doing well, the reality of his initial struggles lingers. Devin revealed that her precious baby experienced brain damage due to a lack of oxygen during the birth process. The full extent of the damage is still unknown, leaving the family in a state of uncertainty. “We just won’t know until he starts to grow and we see him meet or miss some of those milestones,” she explained, clearly displaying both hope and concern.

Furthermore, the Brown family will need to be in regular contact with specialists for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Each milestone Wells achieves or misses will serve as a constant reminder of the critical moments they faced so early on in his life.

Rising 911 Wait Times

An eye-opening report from the Mid-America Regional Council, otherwise known as MARC, reveals that the situation with 911 responses in Kansas City is steadily worsening. Just two years ago, in September 2021, the average wait time for a call to KCPD was just 13 seconds. Fast forward to September 2023, and that wait time has swollen to an alarming 34 seconds.

This long wait time is not just a statistic; it’s a matter of life and death for many. The industry standard is that *90% of all calls* should be answered in 15 seconds. The Brown family’s experience underscores the critical nature of this response time, with Devin passionately stating, “This is very serious. And for us, it’s very personal.”

Wells may now be home, surrounded by love and relief, but for many families, the fear of waiting too long in emergencies looms large. As they embrace this new chapter of their lives, it’s clear that this family’s journey sheds light on important conversations surrounding public safety and emergency response.