Mahayla’s Story

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) care from Niswonger Children’s Hospital

Mahayla’s world is full of songs and possibilities. She loves to pretend she is Elsa of Arendelle, the fictional character from the computer-animated fantasy film Frozen, and “freeze” people with a wave of her hand. “She believes she really can freeze us because we immediately stop what we’re doing and freeze,” says her adoptive mother, Alicia.

“We walk in, and they know us by name. My kids act like they own the place”

But life hasn’t always been games and laughter. She was born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), addicted to five substances, including meth and cocaine. She received no prenatal care and was born weighing just over five pounds. Doctors didn’t know if she was premature or just deprived of nutrients in utero.

Mahayla detoxed for 10 days in the neonatal intensive care unit before doctors released her. That’s the day Alicia learned about Mahayla and decided to give her a home.

Seven years earlier, Alicia adopted another little girl born addicted to drugs, Icess. So, she knew physical and emotional challenges would forever impact Mahayla’s life. Mahayla had a weakened immune system and couldn’t tolerate most infant formulas. She also developed a “meth rash,” a severe diaper rash that no creams could soothe. The first emergency happened when Mahayla was just one month old. Her body suddenly stiffened up, and her skin turned blue.

“I immediately dropped everything and called 9-1-1,” Alicia says. Mahayla started breathing again by the time the ambulance got to the hospital. “But it was a slow process to get her breathing correctly.” Mahayla’s lungs were not fully developed, and she spent nearly the first year of her life on a monitor.

She also was born with an elongated bowel, a condition in which the colon is longer than average, causing bowel blockages. Potty-trained by age 3, Mahayla’s condition is managed with daily medication.

Between Mahayla, now 4, and her older sister Icess, Alicia’s visits to Niswonger Children’s Hospital are frequent. “We walk in, and they know us by name. My kids act like they own the place,” Alicia says with a laugh.

“One night, one of the nurses told me, ‘You always come in around the same time, and we know that when you do, you’ve done everything you can during the day until you feel like you can’t do anything else.’ I never realized that,” she says. “But it’s true. I’ll work all day with Mahayla’s asthma acting up or when she can’t go to the bathroom, and then finally, when I can do no more, we go back to Niswonger Children’s Hospital, and they take care of everything.”

Want to learn more about Niswonger Children’s Network?

The Niswonger Children’s Network is dedicated to improving the health and future of the Appalachian Highlands through expert pediatric care so that we can share more heartwarming stories like Mahayla’s. Read about Mahayla’s older sister, Icess, and her experience at Niswonger Children’s Hospital.

Read more Niswonger Children’s Stories here.