Las Vegas children's hospital groundbreaking brings hope to southern Utah family

ST. GEORGE — For families in southern Utah, getting specialized care for their kids can mean hours on the road and time away from home. But a new children's hospital coming to Las Vegas could help make those trips a little easier.

At just 2 1/2 years old, Nash Stone has already been through more than most.

Born at 27 weeks, he spent 16 months in the neonatal intensive care unit — 478 days, to be exact.

"He's been through a lot," said his mom, Lindee Stone. "But he's, like, the chillest, happiest, best smile guy around."

Nash spent his first three months in the NICU in St. George before being flown to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, where he spent another 13 months. During that time, he faced serious complications involving his lungs and digestive system.

"It was just a lot of back and forth," Stone recalled, describing the challenges of helping Nash get the nutrition he needed while his lungs were still developing.

But she said Nash kept fighting.

"If there's a will, there's a way with this guy," she said. "He just seemed to, in his own time and in his own way, figure it out."

Today, Nash is home in St. George with his family. He still relies on a ventilator to help him breathe and receives nutrition through a feeding tube.

"This thing runs 24/7. He's always hooked up to this," Stone said.

Getting Nash to appointments at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City is no small task. His family has to pack up medical equipment, including a portable power source to keep it running during the drive.

"We call it an ICU on wheels," Stone said.

But those four-to-five-hour drives could eventually get shorter. Intermountain Health broke ground this week on what will be Nevada's first standalone children's hospital.

The new facility, expected to open in 2030, will offer specialized pediatric care, including cancer treatment, cardiac care and emergency services.

"Although the hospital's here in Las Vegas, it's also a hospital for children in southern Utah," said Mitch Cloward, president of Intermountain Health's Desert Region.

Cloward spent 21 years working for Intermountain in St. George before moving to Las Vegas. He said he's seen firsthand how far families have to travel when their kids need specialized medical care.

"We knew when children had complex medical issues, they traveled to Salt Lake City," he said. "But time and distance is significant, and especially that travel in the winter ... they'll be able to receive the same high-quality, compassionate health care here, but closer to home."

For the Stone family, that could mean a two-hour drive instead of four or five.

"My initial reaction was, I hope that thing gets done soon," Stone said. "Having a children's hospital in Vegas only two hours away, that's just a day trip. We don't have to spend the night."

"For all families, it's going to be really cool to have something that much closer," Nash's father Jordan Stone said.

While the hospital is still several years away, it's a change the family is already looking forward to. For now, they're focused on watching Nash continue to grow and enjoying everyday moments.

"He loves going outside. He loves music. He loves to dance," Lindee Stone said. "To see life come into Nash has been really, really amazing."

"He's changed our perspective on a lot of things and taught us what's important in life," she added. "We love this dude."