How one family found fast relief for their baby’s chronic ear infections

The Caja family

When Allison and Kyle Caja moved to northeast Ohio from Cincinnati, their 8-month-old daughter Guinevere was already struggling with painful ear infections.

Guinevere had been dealing with chronic ear infections since she was 4 months old. As a result, the infections caused high fevers, sleepless nights and many trips to the emergency room.

“The ear infections were affecting every aspect of her life and ours,” Allison said. “She would wake up every 2 hours, pulling at her ears, crying, wanting to be held. It was hard to watch her struggle and not know how to help.”

Meanwhile, like many working parents, Allison and Kyle were also juggling jobs and day care rules.

“Day care won’t take kids with fevers, so we were missing work,” she said.

Guinevere was born early and spent some time in the NICU.

A quick referral – and a plan

After the move, Allison connected with her new pediatrician Dr. Carrie Bohenick at Akron Children’s Brecksville location. However, when another round of antibiotics didn’t work, Dr. Bohenick referred Guinevere to Dr. Julie Wei, a pediatric ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon.

“We got an appointment within 2 weeks,” said Allison. “I was impressed that the wait time was that short to see an ENT surgeon.

“We saw Dr. Wei on Feb. 10, and she carefully explained what was going on in my baby’s ears,” Allison added. “The problem wasn’t just infection; fluid was trapped behind Guinevere’s eardrums. At that point, antibiotics were no longer helping, and she needed ear tubes.”

What happened next surprised Allison.

“Dr. Wei called the Beachwood Outpatient Surgery Center and added Guinevere to her surgery schedule the very next day,” said Allison.

From clinic visit to surgery, it was less than 24 hours.

Guinevere was dealing with chronic ear infections since she was 4 months old. The infections caused high fevers, sleepless nights and many trips to the emergency room.

Surgery the next morning

Not only did Dr. Wei personally arrange the surgery, she also coordinated with pre-surgery staff to make sure Guinevere could safely move forward the next day.

Overall, Allison said the process was smooth from start to finish.

“Everything from the arrival to discharge was amazing,” she said.

Guinevere arrived early the next morning to Akron Children’s Beachwood Outpatient Surgery Center. Fortunately, the procedure itself was quick.

“She was only in surgery for 5 minutes,” Allison said.

Allison was impressed she was able to get in to see an ENT specialist within 2 weeks.

Explaining why she needed surgery

Although Allison works at Akron Children’s as a surgery verification program manager, her husband doesn’t work in health care. Because of that, she said the staff made sure he felt comfortable every step of the way on surgery day.

“Staff members were super sweet, super helpful, and they explained everything clearly,” Allison said. “Understanding the reason behind the surgery – the ‘why’ – was very important for my husband and helped calm his nerves.”

Dr. Daniel Goldstein, pediatric anesthesiologist, explained the anesthesia, the pre-op process and why children wake up in recovery before seeing their parents.

“I know all of this, but it was easier for my husband to listen to him instead of listening to me,” she said.

Guinevere recently started sitting up on her own.

A big change after a small procedure

Allison said the results of the surgery were almost immediate.

“She’s been doing great,” Allison said.

For the first time, Guinevere started sitting up on her own – a milestone many babies reach around 6 or 7 months. Even her physical therapists that she sees for torticollis, low tone in her neck, noticed a difference.

“They told us she was very participatory and engaged and that it was her best session yet,” Allison said.

Allison knows the word “surgery” can sound scary – especially for a baby. But she encourages other parents to trust their instincts.

“Ultimately, you have to be advocating what’s best for your child,” she said. “Seeing my daughter hurting, I wanted her to get better.”

She also trusted the expertise of her care team.

“They’re professionals. They stay up to date on the best evidence-based practice, so they know what’s best for my child,” she said.

Today, Guinevere can swim and bathe without restrictions. The tubes should naturally fall out as she grows

For Allison, the biggest relief is simple: “She’s not in pain anymore.” And that has made all the difference.