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Benefit to be held Saturday for premature baby

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By Shirley Davis | Thursday, March 06, 2008 |

WALCOTT, Iowa — It was a big surprise to his parents when little Edward James Huesmann came into the world July 14 at University Hospitals in Iowa City. He wasn’t due until Oct. 31 and weighed only 1 pound, 3 ounces.

A benefit to raise money to help pay for the complications that resulted from the early birth of the son of Brandy and Kirk Huesmann, who live on a farm in rural Walcott, will be Saturday, March 1, at the Walcott Coliseum.

Being 16 weeks premature and due to his mother having preeclampsia, Edward arrived by emergency Caesarean section. For the next 19 weeks, until Nov. 23, he remained in the neonatal intensive care unit.

After being home less than a month, he returned to the hospital from Dec. 19 to 23 to have a feeding tube reinserted because of problems with eating and gaining weight. He also underwent laser eye surgery when he was only 13 weeks old. In addition, he had a vessel in his heart that didn’t close at birth, two brain bleeds and urinary tract infections. His lungs were not fully developed at birth, so he needed support from ventilators and other breathing machines.

The challenges and expenses continue, which is why members of the Walcott community have banded together for the event, which begins with a silent auction at 4 p.m. There will be other fundraising opportunities and door prizes. Cash donations will be accepted.

Trivial Pursuit games begin at 7 p.m., with 10 tables of eight already booked. There also will be raffles for a St. Patrick’s Day food basket and $100 meat bundles in addition to a bake sale.

“Eddie is just a wonderful baby who likes to play with his toys and even tries to talk,” Randy Huesmann says. “We’re thrilled that our friends, family and neighbors are willing to help us out by having this benefit for us.”

Shirley Davis can be contacted at (563) 383-2281 or sdavis@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.