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On Sunday, July 23, 2017, Paramedic Thelma Stelly, Dispatcher Kaitlin Dugas, Paramedic Kimberly Connor, and EMT Kevin Duhon were able to reunite with a very small patient they had met six months prior.
Baby Brantlyn James Touchet (B.J.) was born at 23 weeks, weighing only one pound, 10 ounces, and considered a micro-preemie.
The story begins when Sabrina Kestler, a Kaplan resident, was not quite six months pregnant. When she returned home from working the midnight shift, she began experiencing pain. She went to bed hoping the pain would stop.
“I knew she was having a difficult pregnancy,” said Amanda Kestler, grandmother. “And I knew she had experienced pain before. But that night it didn’t stop, it just got worse.”
By one a.m. on January 7, one of the coldest nights with rain and icy conditions outside, she decided that she needed to call an ambulance.
When paramedics arrived, the initial plan was to take her to Abbeville. But after assessing the problems she was having, the decision was made to take her to Women’s and Children’s in Lafayette.
Being just outside of the Kaplan city limits, near the intersection of Highway 699 and 700, little B.J. decided he was going to make his appearance.
Born weighing only one pound, ten ounces, the paramedics needed special equipment to keep the baby alive. A call was made and another ambulance met them en route to Lafayette with the necessary life support equipment.
The tiny preemie was immediately connected to a heart monitor and CPR was administered all the way to the hospital.
“Because it was so cold outside,” said Amanda, “the tiny baby’s temperature dropped drastically when they opened the back door at the hospital.”
According to Kestler, when the emergency room doctor saw B.J., he was going to pronounce him dead, but the paramedics were able to show the baby still had a very faint heartbeat on the monitor.
B.J. spent six months in ICU before being discharged. He had heart surgery and remains on oxygen support, but the family is hopeful he will be able to remove the oxygen tubes soon.
On August 7, 2017, B.J. turned seven months old, and as of today, weighs almost 17 pounds.
“Mighty B.J. will always know how important Kim, Tiger, Kaitlin and Thelma are in his life,” said Kestler. “They may have not thought their day was going to end that way, but God put them at the right time and the right place. “These amazing “heroes” are the reason our miracles started that day. These Acadian Ambulance medics, who started their shift on the coldest, iciest day of the year, never imagined they would be the heroes for a baby who came too soon.
“They gave us just a small part of their lives, even when doctors were ready to pronounce him dead. These EMTs and paramedics didn’t give up the fight to save his life, from the birth in the back of their ambulance or while at the hospital when he needed them most.
“Thank you to our saving graces at Acadian Ambulance.”
Thelma Stelly, a 25 year veteran paramedic with Acadian Ambulance was thrilled to see his progress.
“He really is a miracle baby,”
said Stelly. “A baby that tiny being born in a hospital setting has a hard time surviving, and being born in an ambulance and surviving makes it even more of a miracle.
“It was unbelievable to see him weighing 17 pounds as opposed to fitting in the palm of my hand when he was born.
“He really is a fighter!”

September 29, 1964 ~ August 8, 2017

ABBEVILLE — Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, August 11, 2017 at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville honoring the life of Huey Irvin Decuir, 52, who died Tuesday, August 8, 2017 at Abbeville General Hospital. He will be laid to rest at Graceland Cemetery with Reverend Lane Payne officiating the services.
Huey is survived by three brothers, J.C. Foster and his wife Debra of Abbeville, Fred Campbell, Jr. of Abbeville, and Shane Decuir and his wife Mary of Erath; and sister, Ruby Jewel Decuir of Abbeville.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Irvin Joseph Decuir and the former Jeanette Foster; and brother, Jerry Campbell.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Friday, August 11, 2017 from 9:00 AM until time of services.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, (337) 893-4661.

(This article first ran in the Oilman Magazine recently. The magazine gave the Meridional permission to print it).

Noe Raywood Broussard, better known as N. R. or “Pedo” was born in Pecan Island, Louisiana in 1921. He completed high school then joined the Navy in 1942. By the time he left the Navy in 1946 he had risen from recruit to first class petty officer. After returning to Louisiana, N. R. and his brother originated a tugboat business known as Broussard Brother’s Boat Service in Chalmette, Louisiana.
In 1959, Mr. Broussard moved his family back to Vermilion Parish to a low lying area at the end of a small village known as
Intracoastal City. Together with his brothers John Huey Broussard and Joseph L. Broussard, they developed the Broussard Brothers Boat business in Intracoastal City with a vision of developing a facility to better meet the growing needs of the oil industry. “There was absolutely nothing when we first came to Intracoastal City. A lot of people thought I was more than a little crazy,” says N.R. Broussard.
N.R. quoted something he heard once. “A man should work as though everything depended upon himself, and pray as though everything depended on God.”
This saying influenced the motto “Everybody works.” At first, the brothers rolled pipe all day, then went into the office to do paperwork. When the children were old enough to be out by their side, they were taught the business. The girls worked in the office during summer break alongside their mother.
Today, a family approach to business is becoming rare, especially one that has been successful for 70 years and touched so many lives.

Playing its Part

Culture is an important part of South Louisiana and everyone has a part to play. The role of Broussard Brothers in the developing oilfield industry in Vermilion Parish created an environment for new jobs, allowing people to make a good living locally. Broussard Brothers helped keep families together, a significant element to preserving the local culture. The jobs have sustained generations of families working in the company. Father and son often work side by side. Today, the 5th generation of some of these families are taking a role in sustaining the company, contributing considerably to keeping the Cajun Culture in Vermilion Parish alive and well. The company also still employees up to 4 generations of the Broussard family.

The 80’s

Being in business for 70 years has come with its challenges.
The company struggled in the 80’s bust, but due to its prudent financial practices, incredible work ethic, and service built on a handshake the company came through it stronger. “All of our equipment was paid for,” said Broussard. “If not for that, it would have been a lot tougher.”

The Current Downturn

In today’s challenging industry, as before, Broussard Brothers is forced to make difficult cuts to their operating costs, while still trying to protect its most valuable asset: their employees. The magnitude of these burdens are multiplied today due to the increased size of the company. More employees and families depend on its success. Thankfully, there are signs that the industry is beginning to slowly turn around.
Over the years, the brothers recognized their success would be directly tied to meeting the needs of its customers. With this in mind, they expanded their six acre low lying marshland area where they initiated Broussard Brothers, Inc. in Vermilion Parish to a commercial development containing over a mile of well-developed waterfront property. The business includes tugs, barges and crew boat rentals, as well as oilfield and pipeline construction services.
Today, the company has grown into one of the gulf coast’s premier oilfield service and construction companies.
The ever changing marine construction and towing environment presents many challenges. The company has grown and changed with the times and has consistently upgraded equipment, and trained and developed an experienced workforce to meet those demands head on.

Capable of providing a variety of services to the oilfield and construction industries

Broussard Brothers’ contribution to the business industry of Southwest Louisiana developed into a multifaceted expansion of specialized marine fabrication, construction, blasting and painting, land and offshore crews and dock side services which ran primarily under the sister corporation known as Acadian Contractors. Together, the businesses provided jobs to over 700 employees.
Broussard Brothers, Inc. still operates out of their original Intracoastal City docks, although the flooding of hurricane Rita drove the business office to Abbeville. N. R. Broussard, nearly 96 years old, still goes into the business office daily and frequently attends company operations meetings at the Intracoastal City location. The staff he has assembled to run the company often relies on his wealth of knowledge and experience to better serve customers and to keep Broussard Brothers a leader in the oilfield service industry.
Broussard Brothers, Inc. is located in Abbeville, Louisiana, and can be reached at 337-893-5303, or at www.broussardbrothers.com.