Voluntary Benefits
Published by Trustmark Voluntary Benefits on September 10th, 2020
Thankfully, two-year-old Jameson Robb won’t remember the dramatic way he entered the world. He won’t remember the wires, the machines and the emergency helicopter ride to a different Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). He won’t remember a doctor saying he only had a 50-50 chance to survive and the 15 days of care in the NICU.
As for his dad, Mark, that’s a different story; one he’d like to forget but can’t.
The events of Jameson’s birth are seared in Robb’s brain, particularly seeing his son wrapped in a soccer blanket just before he was lifted onto a medical helicopter.
“Most vivid memory I’ve ever had,” said Robb, who is based in Phoenix and one of Trustmark’s Regional Sales Directors.
Fortunately for Robb, he was able, with the help and support of friends, to pay for the extensive hospital bills incurred that were not covered by traditional medical insurance. “Expenses can get out of control pretty quickly,” he said.
The experience, though, was part of the reason the “About” section on his LinkedIn page now reads, “it’s better to have coverage and not need it than to need it and not have it.”
The experience also was a catalyst for joining Trustmark at the end of May.
“I wanted to get off the spreadsheet and really be able to stand behind a premium product,” he said. “I like the pride Trustmark has in its products and that we don’t cut corners. With some carriers, you get the sense they’re trying to find ways to get out of insurance. We try to ease the financial burden a medical event can cause and make people whole.”
For example, Trustmark’s Hospital StayPay® pays cash directly to the policy owner for days spent in the hospital. There are no restrictions on how the money is used; it’s age rated, portable (you can take with you no matter where you work) and the renewal rates will never go up. And, just as importantly, it’s highly customizable, making it ideal for covering those gaps in protection that can become such a burden when a person is hospitalized.
Baby Jameson
Robb and his wife, Kalyn, could never have predicted Jameson would spend just over two weeks in the hospital. Each appointment with the OBGYN was routine and it was a full-term birth.
At birth, though, his stomach was suppressed. So much so that you could see his spine through his stomach. He had Meconium Aspiration Syndrome, which, in non-medical terms, meant he passed his first stool in utero and then inhaled the fluid into his lungs as he entered the world. This caused his lungs to collapse and infection set in from the toxic fluid.
Jameson would be attached to an oscillator ventilator that helped loosen the toxic material lose from his lungs by providing the equivalent of 360 breaths-per-minute. To put it in perspective, the average person takes 12-20 breaths a minute. For days, the routine rarely changed. Robb and Kaylin would wake up early from a hotel room next to the hospital, spend the day in the NICU and then head back to the hotel for a few hours of sleep. Then repeat the next day.
After many steps forward and a few steps back, Jameson graduated to a conventional ventilator, then to oxygen and taking normal feeds. He was such a fighter that the day before he was discharged he pulled his own feeding tube out. Clearly, he was done with the hardware from his NICU life!
September is Neonatal Intensive Care Awareness Month, which is designed to honor families experiencing a stay in the neonatal intensive care unit and the health professionals who care for them. Robb and Kalyn are forever grateful for the care Jameson received at the St. Joseph Hospital NICU in Phoenix. They go back to the NICU to visit with staff, support other parents and participate in walks to raise money for the NICU.
A Zest for Life
Two years later, Jameson demonstrates boundless enthusiasm daily. He has a zest for life, a love of music, and if he ever turns down an opportunity to splash around in the swimming pool it will be the first time.
Jameson has a beautiful younger sister to dote on as well – little Olivia Rose is 10-months old, and birthday planning is underway.
Jameson’s harrowing birth taught Robb so much about life: the need for financial protection, faith and what matters most. It’s a story he shares with clients because it’s a big part of the person he is today. It’s a reason he believes so strongly in the protection provided by products like Trustmark Hospital StayPay; because he’s experienced firsthand what a hospital stay can entail for a family both emotionally and financially.
“I’m not exactly sure how I got so lucky, but I’m truly blessed to be Jameson’s dad,” he said.
As for his dad, Mark, that’s a different story; one he’d like to forget but can’t.
The events of Jameson’s birth are seared in Robb’s brain, particularly seeing his son wrapped in a soccer blanket just before he was lifted onto a medical helicopter.“Most vivid memory I’ve ever had,” said Robb, who is based in Phoenix and one of Trustmark’s Regional Sales Directors.
Fortunately for Robb, he was able, with the help and support of friends, to pay for the extensive hospital bills incurred that were not covered by traditional medical insurance. “Expenses can get out of control pretty quickly,” he said.
The experience, though, was part of the reason the “About” section on his LinkedIn page now reads, “it’s better to have coverage and not need it than to need it and not have it.”
The experience also was a catalyst for joining Trustmark at the end of May.
“I wanted to get off the spreadsheet and really be able to stand behind a premium product,” he said. “I like the pride Trustmark has in its products and that we don’t cut corners. With some carriers, you get the sense they’re trying to find ways to get out of insurance. We try to ease the financial burden a medical event can cause and make people whole.”
For example, Trustmark’s Hospital StayPay® pays cash directly to the policy owner for days spent in the hospital. There are no restrictions on how the money is used; it’s age rated, portable (you can take with you no matter where you work) and the renewal rates will never go up. And, just as importantly, it’s highly customizable, making it ideal for covering those gaps in protection that can become such a burden when a person is hospitalized.
Baby Jameson
Robb and his wife, Kalyn, could never have predicted Jameson would spend just over two weeks in the hospital. Each appointment with the OBGYN was routine and it was a full-term birth.
At birth, though, his stomach was suppressed. So much so that you could see his spine through his stomach. He had Meconium Aspiration Syndrome, which, in non-medical terms, meant he passed his first stool in utero and then inhaled the fluid into his lungs as he entered the world. This caused his lungs to collapse and infection set in from the toxic fluid.
Jameson would be attached to an oscillator ventilator that helped loosen the toxic material lose from his lungs by providing the equivalent of 360 breaths-per-minute. To put it in perspective, the average person takes 12-20 breaths a minute. For days, the routine rarely changed. Robb and Kaylin would wake up early from a hotel room next to the hospital, spend the day in the NICU and then head back to the hotel for a few hours of sleep. Then repeat the next day.
After many steps forward and a few steps back, Jameson graduated to a conventional ventilator, then to oxygen and taking normal feeds. He was such a fighter that the day before he was discharged he pulled his own feeding tube out. Clearly, he was done with the hardware from his NICU life!
September is Neonatal Intensive Care Awareness Month, which is designed to honor families experiencing a stay in the neonatal intensive care unit and the health professionals who care for them. Robb and Kalyn are forever grateful for the care Jameson received at the St. Joseph Hospital NICU in Phoenix. They go back to the NICU to visit with staff, support other parents and participate in walks to raise money for the NICU.
A Zest for Life
Two years later, Jameson demonstrates boundless enthusiasm daily. He has a zest for life, a love of music, and if he ever turns down an opportunity to splash around in the swimming pool it will be the first time.Jameson has a beautiful younger sister to dote on as well – little Olivia Rose is 10-months old, and birthday planning is underway.
Jameson’s harrowing birth taught Robb so much about life: the need for financial protection, faith and what matters most. It’s a story he shares with clients because it’s a big part of the person he is today. It’s a reason he believes so strongly in the protection provided by products like Trustmark Hospital StayPay; because he’s experienced firsthand what a hospital stay can entail for a family both emotionally and financially.
“I’m not exactly sure how I got so lucky, but I’m truly blessed to be Jameson’s dad,” he said.
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