James Matthew Kinser

Story posted 01/21/05

It will be several years before James Matthew Kinser of Bloomington is old enough to understand the critical circumstances of his birth and the months which followed. His mother Amy had gone into labor four months early and was transported by ambulance to the I.U. Medical Center where doctors were able to delay delivery for five days. Born June 3, 2003, Matthew, as he is called, weighed one and a half pounds and was 12 inches long.

Upon immediate transfer to Riley Hospital for Children, he stayed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for 5 ½ months, undergoing numerous tests and procedures. Although babies born at this stage of a pregnancy frequently do not survive, Matthew continually met developmental milestones as his hearing, eyesight, lungs, brain, and motor skills were monitored.

In a heartfelt letter to Riley's Dr. William Engle, Amy and James Kinser wrote, "You showed love for our son and compassion for our family. You spoke to Matthew, called him by name, and sympathized with him. It was at that moment we knew you were not just a doctor, but a really exceptional doctor and person."