Mom Drives Four Hours to Deliver Baby at Silver Cross Hospital

Pregnant with her second child, Kara Waack made a routine visit late last year to her obstetrician, Dr. Jean Alexandre, in her hometown of downstate Quincy. 

“Dr. Alexandre is like family,” said Waack. “When I was pregnant with my first child during COVID, it was a scary time, and I didn’t have much support around me. He was always asking me if I’m OK, or if I had any questions. 

“He even came to visit me when I was working at a restaurant to make sure I was doing OK. I’m just really comfortable with Dr. Alexandre.” 

She was in for quite a shock, however, when he told her he would be leaving Quincy to join the medical staff of Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox at the end of December, only two months from her due date. 

“I could see the panic in her eyes, and maybe tears starting to well up a bit,” said Dr. Alexandre. “But it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.” 

After her mind cleared a bit, Waack jokingly asked if she could still see him at Silver Cross and have her baby delivered up there. 

“I told her, ‘Sure, so long as it’s safe.’ And her husband, Justin, was fine with it.” 

So, they scheduled an induction for Feb. 12. Justin drove the four hours from Quincy to New Lenox while Waack slept.

“The hospital is wonderful, and the staff is amazing,” she said. “When Eddie was born, he had some fluid in his lungs, so they transferred him to the NICU (Amy, Matthew and Jay Vana Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) for observation. 

“I couldn’t believe it. Nurses were coming in all the time to make sure we were OK and to let us know what was going on. I wasn’t used to that type of care when my daughter Kaislee was born. 

“Sometimes, Justin and I needed to get some rest. And it was so nice knowing the nurses were taking good care of Eddie when Mom and Dad couldn’t be there.” 

When it was time to take Eddie home February 17, NICU staff contacted a doctor in Quincy so they could follow up within a few days. 

“It turns out, he was the pediatrician I used to go to,” Waack said. “Silver Cross took care of everything for us. 

“When we had our wellness checkup here in Quincy February 26, Eddie had passed his birth weight. He’s doing really well.” 

Asked if they would travel to Silver Cross so Dr. Alexandre could deliver again should they have another child, Waack said it was a definite possibility. 

Should that happen, they might run into some neighbors. When Waack spread the word about the popular Dr. Alexandre’s new hospital, others checked it out as well. 

“I’ve had some couples from Quincy come up to check out Silver Cross and whether they could deliver up here,” said Dr. Alexandre. “I told them the same thing I told Kara. ‘If it’s safe, we’ll do it.’ 

“And Silver Cross is such a wonderful hospital. So clean, with comfortable birthing rooms, excellent equipment. I appreciate, as a patient advocate, the time the nurses take to ensure the safety and care of my patients. 

“I am so happy to be here.” 

For more information on the Women and Infant Services Birthing Center at Silver Cross Hospital, visit silvercross.org