I am walking and raising money for CHOC with my family

on behalf of my 18 month old baby boy, Sebastian! He is one of thousands of little ones who has had a life saving procedure from CHOC and the care he received was of the highest caliber. 

For those who don’t know, Sebastian was born October 1, 2023, having congenital diaphragmatic hernia, which is when the diaphragm doesn’t fully develop resulting in the organs in his abdomen like his stomach and intestines to migrate into his chest cavity. His left lung was compressed and his heart shifted making it extremely hard work to breathe his first few months of life.  Sadly, this diagnosis went unknown until he was brought to CHOC emergency room having extreme congestion and difficulty breathing from contracting RSV at 7 weeks old. An X-ray was conducted due to his abnormal breathing pattern that he’s had since birth that his former doctors said was “normal” which confirmed the defect. 

At 3 months old, he underwent repair surgery on January 23, 2024. His amazing surgeon closed the hole by attaching it to his bottom ribs as he had no diaphragm formed around the back and edge of his left side to attach the other side to. Despite having such a large incision, he recovered very quickly with what will be a minimal scar over time. Almost instantly there was a noticeable change in his breathing patterns and milk consumption. He was full for much longer and didn’t work so hard to eat and breathe. Now at 18 months old, his growth has skyrocketed and is developing perfectly! 

This condition, known as CDH, occurs in 1 out of every 3,600 births, yet is unknown to many. We are so lucky Sebastian had a mild case despite having such a large hole, and we are lucky CHOC has such a knowledgeable, skilled, and experienced team. We will forever support CHOC and all its efforts to treat and take care of children as it has taken care of mine. Please help us with this goal in donating and sharing!

With love,
Devon