Routine tonsil surgery turned into more than 54 days in ICU for New Berlin boy
Ashleigh and Dan Klaver hold get well cards people have been sending to Liam after hearing his story.
By Rebecca Klopf
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NEW BERLIN, Wisconsin (WTMJ) — A New Berlin family is facing uncertainty as their son remains in intensive care following what was supposed to be a routine tonsillectomy. Liam Klaver has been hospitalized for 54 days after a series of medical complications, and doctors are unsure when he’ll be able to return home.
“We don’t know from one minute to the next,” said his mom Ashleigh Klaver.
Liam, who turns 12 on Friday, can only speak for short periods due to a tracheotomy and feeding tube. Since his originally tonsil surgery Liam has been placed into a medically included coma four different times. The longest for two weeks.
“Since that first incident he is not following any text book or any rules so everyone is just doing the best,” said his dad Dan Klaver.
TMJ4 News reporter Rebecca Klopf got to FaceTime Liam while she was talking to his parents. Liam is never left alone. His grandpa was sitting with him holding the phone as he talked to his mom. His parents say they live for the moments that he acts like himself.
“Can you say hi?” Ashleigh asked.
“I did Mom,” Liam answered.
The complications began in March when Liam underwent what was considered a routine tonsillectomy on St. Patrick’s Day. Three days after surgery, he began throwing up blood. He was rushed to an ER and the family says it was discovered that Liam’s carotid artery was nicked during the procedure, causing him to hemorrhage.
“The next thing you know something is going wrong,” Ashleigh said.
“It kind of snowballed,” Dan said.
Doctors placed Liam in a medically induced coma, where they discovered a blood clot in his artery. After a second surgery, the family hoped Liam was recovering, but his body rejected the device meant to stop the bleeding, and he suffered an aneurysm.
Dan was with his son that night in the hospital when the situation became critical for the second time in just a couple of weeks..
“I just turned the lights off and laid down and he kind of said something. And I said what? He just yelled the word blood and I turned on the lights and he is bend over the railing of his bed and his a blood spraying from his mouth and his nose on to the floor,” Dan said.
Liam now faces a long list of medical problems that doctors have been unable to stabilize all of them. One of the most recent concerns is potential brain damage.
“Is he going to be Liam again?” asked Rebecca to his parents.
“It is just a big hope. It is just a big hope,” Ashleigh said.
Despite these challenges, the family is looking forward to celebrating Liam’s 12th birthday on Friday. When asked what he’s hoping for on his birthday, Liam mentioned the game “The Mario Party Jamboree.”
The family has established a GoFundMe page here and an Amazon wish list hereto help them while Liam remains hospitalized.
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