Wyatt James Koger, A Fighter from Birth: Happy CDH Awareness Day!

Monday, March 31, 2008

Happy CDH Awareness Day!

Today was CDH Awareness Day. Jack's mom hosted a blood drive in honor of Jack in Frederick. After work I traveled to Frederick to give blood. As Vicki and I donated blood, we were saying that our little boys endured so much compared to this. They are tough little fighters that gave everything they had to survive. Wow!! we are so proud of them. Baby Sofia and Baby Ned's blog has two great CDH Awareness Day stories. The above photo is a picture of the CDH moms. Jack's mom and Andrew's mom are standing next to me. Andrew was born at Hopkins after Wyatt and Jack at 32 weeks with CDH and survived for just a couple of days. We are always thinking about Baby Andrew and their family.

2 comments:

Vicki Jensen said...: Hi Gina. It was so great to see you today. I can't wait for the boys to meet soon!
Love
Vic; March 31, 2008 at 10:46 PM
Anonymous said...: Hi Gina...
Wyatt continues to look happier and happier...and Chloe has truly taken on the "big sister" role and looks to be doing a marvelous job!!!
I proudly wear my CDH ribbon...thank you so much for thinking of me.
Always in my thoughts and heart...
Karen :); April 1, 2008 at 6:48 AM

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Hurdles that I faced and achieved!

After birth, I was placed on ECMO at Johns Hopkins Hospital for 13 days. On day 13, I had a surgery to repair my hernia and was removed from ECMO, but my organs would not fit in my abdomen. I had a silo for a week and then surgery to place the organs back in the abdomen. Then, part of my intestines re-herniated into my chest cavity two months later and I had another surgery to repair that. After my first surgery, I experienced an intraventricular hemorrhage in my brain and at four months old I received a VP shunt. After I was extubated, I learned that I have right vocal cord paralysis. Then I had g-tube surgery and after I finally got to go home after 5 longs months at Johns Hopkins and Mt. Washington Hospital! Only for a few weeks, though. In mid-April my intestines reherniated again and sent me into surgery. I came home, and had a long run before my THIRD reherniation in the beginning of September on Labor Day weekend in 2008. Then I was hospitalized for twice during the winter 2009 for two respiratory infections. Well, I almost lasted a year until my next surgery! Just this past June, in 2009, I had surgery to wrap my stomach around the esophagus, a nissen. This has helped with my reflux and my hiatal hernia. I will be 2 in October, I love scooting around but refuse to stand up and walk. I am a little miracle and thank God, my doctors, my nurses, family, and friends for my strength, my fight and a happy life.