BILLINGS, Mont. (Lee News Service) - Tangible results of St. Vincent Children's Healthcare, a new pediatric care program for sick and injured children that kicked off last week, were obvious even before last week's Saints Ball raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the program.

On Oct. 2, just one day after the program started, its first patient, Lucy Martinson, 2, arrived from Worland to undergo treatment for a blood condition called hemolytic anemia, which produces antibodies that attack the body's red blood cells.

The program will keep hundreds of Montana, Wyoming and North and South Dakota children closer to home while they receive vital medical care. Until the St. Vincent Children's Healthcare began operating, critically ill and injured children usually went to Denver or Salt Lake City for treatment.

"From the parents' and kids' side of it, they can be home, they can be closer to their families," said Dave Irion, executive director of the St. Vincent Foundation. "There's a big difference between driving two and a half hours to Billings and 12 hours to Denver."

When she arrived in Billings, Lucy had already received a blood transfusion in Wyoming, but was jaundiced and still losing blood. She was admitted to St. Vincent's pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), where she underwent a procedure similar to having an IV put into her femoral artery to receive and draw blood.

"She was so pale and lifeless and just lying there," Lucy's mother, Judy Martinson, said Saturday. "She needed something done and she needed it fast.

"That night she received another blood transfusion and then by (Friday) morning she was talking and eating food and was able to move out of the PICU. Today, she's running around."

Martinson said having the program available in Billings took a huge burden off of her family. Family members were able to make the two-hour drive from Wyoming to visit, and she was allowed to stay in the room with her daughter, instead of a hotel.

"I really appreciate that we were able to be here with her the whole time," Martinson said. "It's just been a crazy ride, with Lucy being so sick. She's made such a turnaround."

Money raised this year at the 30th annual Saints Ball, a fundraiser that benefits different St. Vincent programs each year, will go toward St. Vincent Children's Healthcare, providing more clinical equipment, such as monitoring devices, and physician support. The St. Vincent Foundation has committed $6 million to the program and about $3 million had been raised as of mid-September. Before the event, Irion said he expects the ball to raise around $600,000.

The ball, held at the Holiday Inn Ballroom, was sold out by last Friday afternoon and drew a crowd of about 1,000 people, Irion said. The event included a live auction with items such as jewelry from Goldsmith Gallery Jewelers, pieces from regional artists and vacation packages. The St. Mary Land and Exploration Company committed to matching up to $125,000 raised in the auction.

St. Vincent hired Las Vegas-based Children's HealthCare Network (CHN) to bring specialists to Billings. CHN is a group of pediatric intensive care specialists and pediatric hospitalists that works primarily in the western United States.

"We're going to provide tremendous support to pediatricians and subspecialists that are already in Billings," said Curt Pickert, CHN president. "It's going to strengthen the care that's already there."