Children's Miracle Network

Ministry Saint Joseph's Children's Hospital

WYATT TUFF FEASTER

It's not an uncommon sight…seeing a little boy playing cowboy with his toy horse, chaps and cowboy hat and boots. But for Joe and Betsy Feaster of Wisconsin Rapids, seeing their 3 year-old son, Wyatt, ride the living room ottoman like a bucking bull is nothing short of a miracle.

On March 8, 1997, Wyatt Tuff Feaster entered the world nine weeks early. Initially Wyatt's only problem was his size, weighing a meager 3 pounds, 12 ounces. But the physicians at Riverview Hospital in Wisconsin Rapids soon learned Wyatt was in respiratory distress and needed to be transported to the neonatal intensive care unit at Saint Joseph's Hospital.

For Joe's family, this was a nightmare that they were reliving all over again…15 years earlier they spent time in the neonatal intensive care unit at Saint Joseph's Hospital with Joe's brother, Wyatt's Uncle Ira.

Wyatt Tuff Feaster

This time, however, Children's Miracle Network was also there to provide support. Unbeknownst to this family, who has been raising money for CMN since 1989, Wyatt was being transported to Saint Joseph's Hospital in a special neonatal transport unit that was purchased by the funds they helped raise.

"Our family began supporting Children's Miracle Network in 1989," notes Betsy. "We got involved to help other families, not expecting that we were actually helping our own child someday. When we were in the Hospital with Wyatt, we were helped so many ways by CMN. From the small premie clothes to the tapes that we played to the infant hearing screener test"

After spending over 5 weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Joe and Betsy were able to take Wyatt home.

"We are very blessed to have a medical facility like Saint Joseph's Hospital to take care of such small and sick babies," adds Betsy. "The hospital has been there for over 100 years, but until you really need it, you don't realize how lucky you are to have good medical care so close. And if it weren't for Children's Miracle Network, Wyatt's story might have had a different ending."

Miracles do happen. If you don't believe that, just meet Wyatt Tuff Feaster. He'll put a smile on your face and make a believer out of you.

Patti Shafto-Carlson
Director of Development - Children's Services
cmn@ministryhealth.org