Patient Story: Dominique and Raelynn Quintal
Dominique and Nick Quintal drove from their home in Kingston, Massachusetts, to Bar Harbor, Maine, for what they planned to be a relaxing Labor Day Weekend before the arrival of their first baby. Dominique, who was 30 weeks along, said the couple spent the first day of their babymoon walking around the town and relaxing by the pool. The couple went to bed early, expecting to wake up the next morning for another day of vacation.
However, at 4 am on September 1, 2024, Dominique’s water broke.
The couple called Dominique’s OB office in Massachusetts, who told her to go to the nearest hospital, which was Mount Desert Island Hospital (MDI) in Bar Harbor. The couple called the hospital and told them they were on their way.
Once they arrived, the team at MDI confirmed Dominique was in labor. MDI does not have a NICU, and since Dominique was only 30 weeks along in her pregnancy, her care team called LifeFlight to transport her to a larger hospital. LifeFlight’s helicopters could not fly due to weather, so the crew arrived in a ground ambulance, which has the same equipment as the helicopters but can transport patients in weather conditions that ground aircraft.
Dominique and the crew started the 50-minute drive to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center (EMMC) in Bangor, which has a NICU. “The crew made me feel so comfortable and not stressed or scared in any way, because they were so calm,” said Dominique.
Within thirty minutes of arriving at the hospital, Dominique gave birth to Raelynn. Raelynn, who was ten weeks premature, spent three weeks in the NICU at EMMC. She was then transported via LifeFlight to a hospital in Massachusetts to receive care closer to home. Raelynn spent a total of 81 days in the NICU.
A year later, to celebrate Raelynn’s first birthday, the family returned to Maine to visit the LifeFlight crews who helped make the day possible.
The Quintal’s story was also featured in Portland City Lifetyle, which can be found here.
The Qunital family visited LifeFlight’s hangar in Bangor to thank crew members who helped care for Dominique and Raelynn.
