Meet Vaughn...

4 months old, 3 surgeries, 2 amazing parents, 1 courageous little boy

“I never imagined I could be this mom with a sick baby. I 10/10 do not have the mental and emotional strength to pull it off, but just like Vaughn has some sort of super human toughness, Bob and I have been forced to hone that too! Even when he’s not the sickest baby in the hospital, like he was the day they put him on ECMO, we will likely always have our challenges. He will always have to be fighting. But GOSH what a sweet boy. He will get through this again one way or the other.”

Vaughn’s initial NICU stay was fairly short, spending only 39 days in the hospital before heading home eating orally and on minimal oxygen support. Unfortunately, his hospital journey does not end there. After a planned eye surgery to remove bilateral cataracts, Vaughn was taken back to the ER for vomiting the very next day. Tests revealed he had developed a bowel obstruction. During surgery doctors removed an adhesion of his bowel to his scar tissue from his CDH repair. During surgery, 2 inguinal hernias and an umbilical hernia were also repaired.

This is CDH. It does not end with the repair. It does not end when you come home. It is a battle. It requires strength, courage, endurance… CDH babies are courageous. CDH moms and dads are courageous. They don’t want to be, they HAVE to be.

Latricia had this to say:

“Since that day my husband and I have been taking turns staying at the hospital a full 24 hours so that one of us is always with Vaughn and the other is with our 3 older children. We have a 60 mile drive to the hospital and gas was adding up quickly. We were so thankful to the CDH foundation for acknowledging the unexpected struggles of having your baby back in the hospital. The grant they were able to provide is going to take a huge burden off our family as my husband and I continue to care for all 4 of our children. There is so much hope and support available from the CDH foundation and I couldn’t be more grateful!”

Thank you so much Latricia for sharing Vaughn with us. He is such an amazing reminder that CDH babies are so strong and resilient! I am so thankful The CDH Foundation could help relieve some of the stress so that you could focus on what is most important, your family.

If you would like to help babies just like Vaughn not just survive but THRIVE in spite of CDH, please consider partnering with us! Check out: https://www.thecdhfoundation.org/5tothrive for more information.