Lou’s Story: EMS Training Transforms Rural Emergency Care

Project Austin Lets Lou Thrive on the Farm

On the outskirts of Henderson, Neb., 5-year-old Lou Friesen enjoys the kind of childhood his parents always hoped for – tractor time with Dad, playtime with Mom and outdoor fun on the family farm. But Lou isn’t your typical farm kid – he was born with a rare genetic condition called Coffin-Siris syndrome, which has just a few thousand cases reported worldwide. Due to his medical complexity, Lou’s care requires careful coordination, specialized expertise and fast action in the event of an emergency.

“Lou has all of the ‘ologies’ covered at Children’s: Cardiology, Endocrinology, Pulmonology…. We saw Urology for a while and Nephrology,” said Lacey Friesen, Lou’s mom. “We didn’t really know if it was going to be safe to bring Lou back to the farm. But we knew we needed to come home; you can’t move a farm.”

Thanks to Project Austin, the Friesens have the freedom to raise Lou at home – nearly 100 miles away from their care team at Children’s Nebraska – with confidence and security.

What Is Project Austin?

Project Austin supports children and families facing medical complexity by creating customized emergency medical plans and delivering specialized training to local emergency departments and emergency medical services (EMS) teams.

Once a child is enrolled in the program, Children’s Nebraska partners with their local EMS to provide detailed education and hands-on training specific to that child’s condition. The family and care team also receive a QR code that links to the child’s individualized plan so first responders can quickly access critical information in an emergency.

“Project Austin ensures continuity of care for kids like Lou,” said Tiffany Simon, RN, MSN, CCRN, Project Austin co-founder and program lead. “Even when they’re far from their regular specialists, they’re still receiving the right care at the right time – and that can save lives.”

From Local Roots to National Reach

Project Austin was founded by Simon and Natalie McCawley, RN, MSN, CCRN – both experienced nurses – and launched at Children’s Nebraska in 2015. The program has since grown to support more than 2,000 patient families. As of 2025, the program has expanded to a national collaborative, inviting other pediatric hospitals to adopt the model and provide the same level of coordinated care in their communities.

“There are other children’s hospitals across the nation that want to implement Project Austin,” Simon said. “So we started a national collaborative so other hospitals can become Project Austin certified and can start enrolling patients within their communities as well.”

Empowering Rural Families

For rural families like the Friesens, Project Austin changes everything. Lacey said many of the volunteer responders were “out of their comfort zone” when they arrived for their first emergency call to care for Lou. Most had never seen a child with a trach, vent and feeding tube, but after training, those same responders now arrive equipped and confident.

“It was encouraging. With Project Austin providing that training, it really gives them a leg up and provides that confidence,” Friesen said.

Through Project Austin, Children’s Nebraska is building a safer, stronger system of care to help more kids like Lou thrive at home.

Visit the Project Austin website.