In September 2007, Patty Vilela was at her family’s condo on Lake Winnipesaukee, in New Hampshire, when her water broke unexpectedly. She was only 30 weeks pregnant and not due for another almost three months.
Worried, Patty rushed to Lakes Region General Hospital in Laconia, where doctors told her she was going into labor too early and the contractions needed to be stopped. An ambulance quickly drove her to the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (CHaD) in Lebanon, but soon after arriving, her daughter Lexi was born.
Weighing just two pounds, eight ounces, Lexi was immediately admitted to CHaD’s Intensive Care Nursery (ICN). It was there that doctors determined Patty had developed a serious E. coli sepsis meningitis infection, which likely triggered the premature birth. Lexi’s condition was critical.
“They didn’t know if she would make it,” Patty says. “That was the scariest part.”
Lexi spent the first nine weeks of her life in the ICN, surrounded by doctors and nurses, breathing in a constant stream of close monitoring and compassionate care. During the first few weeks, Patty decided to have Lexi airlifted to another hospital in Manchester, so they could be closer to their home in nearby Bedford. After just a few days, Lexi’s condition worsened; she was airlifted back to CHaD by the Dartmouth Health Advanced Response Team (DHART).
“Watching the helicopter take off felt like watching our hearts leave our bodies,” Patty says, recalling how she and Lexi’s dad, Steve, were left standing on the pavement in silence. “We couldn’t go with her. You just watch them take your baby into the helicopter and hope you’ll meet her there. It was terrifying, but we knew she needed to be back at Dartmouth.”
The 90-minute drive to CHaD was “the longest of our lives,” Patty says—a blur of highway and red lights that felt like an eternity, knowing Lexi was already miles ahead, not knowing how she was doing.
Back in the ICN, a team of specialists, including Kanekal Suresh Gautham, MD, who at the time was a neonatologist at CHaD, stabilized Lexi, while also grounding Patty and Steve.
“It felt like a five-star hotel for a hospital,” Patty says. “The care and attention were incredible. They took such good care of her and of us.”
After nine weeks of intensive care, Lexi was finally able to go home. But the challenges didn’t end there. Lexi required years of follow-up care, including support for speech, motor skills, and breathing.
“There was a time we didn’t know where she would end up,” Patty says. “She had to work through so much.”
An Athlete’s Mindset
For Lexi, now 18, those early days live on through the stories her family still tells.
“I’ve heard it so many times,” she says. “It was a really scary experience for everyone. I think what stands out most is the emotions and everything my family went through. I’m just really happy to be here.”
That same mindset of strength, resilience, and gratitude has shaped Lexi’s view of life ever since. And it also informs the spirit she brings to cheerleading—a sport she began at age five with her mom as one of her first coaches.
Over the years, cheer quickly became a central part of her life. Lexi cheered at Bedford High School, where she served as a varsity captain during her senior year and competed at an elite level with a Massachusetts-based all-star program.
Of a routine with stunts, tumbling, jumps, and dance, Lexi’s favorite role is as a base, she says. “Being able to support my teammates.”
Today, Lexi also supports younger athletes whom she coaches. Guiding and encouraging, “Coach Lexi” grows their confidence and instills a sense of belonging in them. One athlete recently told her mother: “Mom, I want to be just like Coach Lexi someday.”
Full Circle
On June 26, 2026, top student-athletes from across New Hampshire and Vermont will take part in the annual Dartmouth Health Children’s NH East-West All Star Football Game, which raises funds to support patients and families at Dartmouth Health Children’s and CHaD.
This year, Lexi was selected as an All-Star cheerleader, which she says feels especially meaningful. “It’s really exciting,” she says. “But knowing it’s CHaD makes it even more special.”
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