For Green Bay natives Jazi and Alex Phillips, life has thrown some unexpected curve balls their way. With three young boys who face complex health challenges, every day tests their resilience.
Jazi’s first pregnancy with Bentley was normal and healthy at first. However, at her 20-week OB-GYN visit, her ultrasound signaled otherwise. There was something wrong with her baby’s heart.
Bentley was diagnosed with a heart condition called coarctation of the aorta. The artery is the body’s largest blood vessel and delivers blood throughout the body. In aortic coarctation, the aorta is narrower in one or more places of than normal, which can disrupt blood flow.
Because of this heart defect, Jazi planned to deliver Bentley at the Froedtert Birth Center in Milwaukee, which is connected to the Children’s Wisconsin NICU.
“We wanted to ensure we had the right resources at hand when he was born,” Jazi said.
On May 5, 2022, Bentley was born. A few days later, specialists from the Herma Heart Institute at Children’s Wisconsin performed open-heart surgery to fix the defect.
The surgery was successful and Jazi and Alex thought Bentley was in the clear. He returned home and remained under the care of Bellin Health Pediatrician Matthew Theado, MD. But when he was 6 months old, they discovered he required another heart procedure. The surgery helped stretch the aorta back open. This second surgery also took place at Children’s Wisconsin.
Sixteen months later came a double bundle of joy. Twins Hudson and Brayden were born in 2023. Born premature and with orthopedic issues — the twins had their own unique uphill battles to conquer.
Hudson was born with two clubbed feet, and Brayden with one. The twins were born in Green Bay and spent two months in the NICU. Once released and under the care of Dr. Theado, they were referred to the Children’s Wisconsin Orthopedics Program in Milwaukee for follow-up care.
The orthopedic team performed a heel chord procedure when the boys were just 2 months old to fix the clubbed feet. After surgery, both boys were placed in castings.
Brayden faced additional health challenges. He was diagnosed with a hole in his heart, a condition known as ventricular septal defect — VSD for short. While some holes heal on their own, that wasn’t the case for Brayden.
With three medically complex kids, the Phillips family was spending much of their lives on the road.
Just about every week, the Phillips family was driving two hours each way to Children’s Wisconsin in Milwaukee for a doctor’s appointment. These weren’t simple check-ups — they were appointments for specialized care. The visits were critical to the healthy development of the Phillips boys.
Bentley’s heart needed regular monitoring, and the twins had to see orthopedic specialists often. Each trip meant hours on the road, time away from home and school and plenty of stress.
That all changed in December 2021. The three major health systems in the Northeast — Children’s Wisconsin, Bellin Health and ThedaCare — announced a new partnership. Called Connected for Kids, this partnership brings additional pediatric services and specialists to Northeast Wisconsin, reducing the need for children and their families to travel outside the region when a higher level of care is needed.
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“Connected for Kids allows us to bridge gaps in care, ensuring children and families have access to the support they need to thrive while expanding specialty care closer to home and supporting the primary care medical home,” said Matthew Buelow, MD, Cardiologist and Medical Director of the Northeast Region of Children’s Wisconsin. “This partnership helps ensure that children and families have access to vital resources that address health needs throughout Wisconsin.”
This partnership has been more than just convenient for the Phillips family — it’s been life-changing.
Instead of driving hours to Milwaukee, the Phillips family could go to clinics just minutes away. Between Bellin Health De Pere East, the Children's Wisconsin Appleton Clinic and the Children’s Wisconsin Fox Valley Hospital, their trips to Milwaukee became much more rare.
“Having a clinic nearby gives us financial relief, especially with how expensive things are right now,” said Jazi. “It turns a day-long trip into a short visit where we can get the information we need and continue our day together as a family.”
“This partnership takes our prior coordination to the next level, ensuring we provide the best in care without the need for hours of travel,” said Dr. Theado. “It has been a true game-changer and I am so grateful for the ways in which my patients benefit.”
Now, Jazi and Alex can focus on what truly matters: spending time together as a family and keeping their boys healthy.
“I am truly so grateful for the care we have received for all three of our boys,” said Jazi. “Without Children’s Wisconsin, I don’t know what we would have done. They listen, care and do everything in their power to make each encounter with them a positive one.”
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