Iliza Martinez-Mondschein of Bethlehem looks at her son, now 18 months, and sees two miracles. Frank \u201cFrankie\u201d Mondschein was born at St. Luke\u2019s Anderson Campus on January 24, 2023, an IVF baby \u2013 and the first miracle. The second miracle was the blood transfusions Martinez-Mondschein received soon after giving birth that possibly saved her life.<\/p>\n
Martinez-Mondschein had lost a lot of blood during delivery via C-section. The next day while she was recovering in her hospital room, she felt weak. \u201cI couldn\u2019t hold my son,\u201d she recalls. Next thing she knew she passed out.<\/p>\n
Bloodwork showed she had a dangerous iron deficiency and low platelet count. She needed a blood transfusion right away, and thanks to Miller-Keystone Blood Center, blood was immediately available.<\/p>\n
Martinez-Mondschein was infused with a unit. She felt much better, but not totally recovered. The next day she was given a second unit of blood. It was what she needed to recover fully. \u201cWe were both doing fine after that,\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n
Martinez-Mondschein had some symptoms of anemia when she was pregnant, but the need for a blood transfusion after her delivery was totally unexpected.<\/p>\n
Martinez-Mondschein is ever so grateful to those who donate blood at Miller-Keystone Blood Center (MKBC). \u201cI am so grateful and blessed,\u201d Martinez-Mondschein said. \u201cWhat should be one of the best days of your life, turned out to be a little scary, but the nurses at St Lukes went into action with the help of MKBC.\u201d<\/p>\n
St. Luke\u2019s, a founding member of Miller-Keystone over 50 years ago, continues its unwavering commitment as the only local health care network that identifies MKBC as its primary blood supplier. Without St. Luke\u2019s steadfast support for MKBC, the Lehigh Valley could run out of the blood necessary to provide lifesaving care for patients, particularly during a regional or national blood shortage or another crisis.<\/p>\n
MKBC has locations in Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, Reading, the Poconos, Pittston and Ewing, NJ, and holds blood drives at area businesses and other locations.<\/p>\n
Martinez-Mondschein gladly tells her scary story so that it might encourage others to donate blood so the supply is there when someone else may need it. \u201cI encourage the community to donate because you never know when you or your loved one will need a blood transfusion,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
About St. Luke\u2019s<\/strong><\/p>\n Founded in 1872,\u00a0St. Luke\u2019s University Health Network<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network of more than 20,000 employees providing services at 15 campuses and 350+ outpatient sites.\u00a0 With annual net revenue of $3.4 billion, the Network\u2019s service area includes 11 counties in two states: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. St. Luke\u2019s hospitals operate the largest network of trauma centers in Pennsylvania, with the Bethlehem Campus being home to St. Luke\u2019s Children\u2019s Hospital.<\/p>\n Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke\u2019s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania.\u00a0 In partnership with Temple University, the Network established the Lehigh Valley\u2019s first and only four-year medical school campus.\u00a0 It also operates the nation\u2019s oldest School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 52 fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with more than 500 residents and fellows. In 2022, St. Luke\u2019s, a member of the Children\u2019s Hospital Association, opened the Lehigh Valley\u2019s first and only free-standing facility dedicated entirely to kids.<\/p>\n SLUHN is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system to earn Medicare\u2019s\u00a0five-star<\/em>\u00a0ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction.\u00a0 It is both a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades\u00a0Top Hospital<\/em>\u00a0and a Newsweek World\u2019s\u00a0Best Hospital<\/em>.\u00a0 The Network\u2019s flagship University Hospital has earned the\u00a0100 Top Major Teaching Hospital<\/em>\u00a0designation from Fortune\/PINC AI 10 years in a row, including in 2023 when it was identified as THE #4 TEACHING HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTRY.\u00a0 In 2021, St. Luke\u2019s was identified as one of the\u00a015 Top Health Systems<\/em>\u00a0nationally.\u00a0 Utilizing the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system for both inpatient and outpatient services, the Network is a multi-year recipient of the\u00a0Most Wired<\/em>\u00a0award recognizing the breadth of the SLUHN\u2019s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information. \u00a0The Network is also recognized as one of the state\u2019s lowest-cost providers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Information provided to TVL by: Iliza Martinez-Mondschein of Bethlehem looks at her son, now 18 months, and sees two miracles. Frank \u201cFrankie\u201d Mondschein was born at St. Luke\u2019s Anderson Campus on January 24, 2023, an … Continue reading New Mom Grateful for Timely Infusion of Miller-Keystone Blood after Birth<\/span>
\nSam Kennedy<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"