Iowa Kid Captain Selected Close to Home

Iowa Kid Captain Selected Close to Home

October 11, 2023 in News, Regional Medical Center

Team members at Regional Medical Center (RMC) celebrated with 8 year-old Max Schlee as he was selected as one of the 2023 Kid Captains by University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. 

Max and his twin brother Cooper were hospitalized at RMC at just 6 months old. This was just the start of a very long healthcare journey for the Schlee family. Max was diagnosed with MCADD (medium-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency). If the disease is untreated, it can lead to serious consequences such as brain damage, coma and sudden death. Due to Max’s health challenges, he became well acquainted with our staff here at RMC throughout the years. 

“I was always impressed by how the RMC team would go above and beyond to make sure he [Max] was taken care of. Max has been hospitalized over 40 times and probably 30 of them were at RMC,” shared Jamie Schlee, Max’s mother. “The kitchen staff would drive down to Kwik Star and buy him milk (the only milk that didn’t upset his stomach). The pharmacy staff would order his medicine (not a common medication) and keep it in stock so anytime he came in, we were able to get it to him right away. It was those types of things that really made this place special.” 

It’s been a couple years, thankfully, since Max has been admitted here at RMC. On Monday, September 25th staff who have cared for Max were invited to celebrate with him and his family for his upcoming Kid Captain recognition. It was a morning filled with big smiles, big hugs and completed with donuts and milk. On behalf of Regional Medical Center, we congratulate Max on this amazing recognition and express gratitude to the entire Schlee family for trusting us to care for their very special little boy.

Pictured: BACK (Left to Right) Spenser VandeVoorde, Amy Mensen, Rhonda Hoefer, Dr. Craig Thompson, Dawn Biggs, Dawn Ellerbach, Danette Kramer, Jennifer Chastek, Allison Berns, Nicole Vaske, Heather Ries, Jamie Schlee FRONT (Left to Right) Scott Chastek, Max Schlee, Dr. Nikolas May, Cooper Schlee