In May 2017 Kayla and John went for a routine anatomy ultrasound. The doctor confirmed it was a little girl, however complications were identified. They were quickly sent to the High Risk doctor the same day and were recommended to see a specialist. Within a few weeks, Kayla and John traveled to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to confirm the baby girl's diagnosis. Little O'Malley has a Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH), in which the diaphragm muscle fails to close during prenatal development and the baby's organs may migrate into the chest through the hole. About 1,600 babies are born with CDH each year, or 1 in every 2,500 births.
Since the diagnosis, Kayla and John were recommended to re-locate so that the baby can be born in Philadelphia at CHOP. They will be moving in early September (when Kayla is around 33 weeks). They do not yet know how long they will remain in Philadelphia, as it will depend upon the baby's progress within the first few days of birth to determine how long she will need to be in the NICU.
As Kayla and John will be away from most of their friends and family over the next few months; we ask for your continued prayers and thoughts. Specifically, prayers for a location which will be close to the hospital and comfortable for Kayla, John, Janice, and Maggie; prayers for caring and supporting doctors; and prayers for strength during the uncertainty.
Links:
http://www.chop.edu/conditions-diseases/congenital-diaphragmatic-hernia-cdh (
http://www.chop.edu/conditions-diseases/congenital-diaphragmatic-hernia-cdh )
