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

Monday, March 30, 2009

CDH Awareness Day

March 31st was proclaimed CDH Awareness Day to help bring attention to this serious birth defect. It occurs more than people think and there is little research done about it. Here are some facts that from Sofie's Infospot which is an awesome site for resources-
CDH occurs in approximately 1 in every 2,500 live births.
This means about 1,600 babies are born each year with CDH.
Approximately 50% of all babies diagnosed with CDH will die.
About a third of pregnancies with prenatally diagnosed CDH are electively terminated.
After having a baby with isolated CDH the chance of having another child with CDH is 1-2%.

We realize we are very lucky to have Wyatt. When we found out that Wyatt had CDH in June 2007 we did not know where to turn to, what to do, or what the outcome may be. Not a day has gone by since June 2007 that I have not thought about CDH. It has impacted my life greatly and changed me forever. Please continue to keep all CDH families and Wyatt in your prayers.... especially for CDH angel babies, Addison and Maxton. CDH babies need numerous blood transfusions, so a good way to show your support is by giving blood. Wear turquoise this week and take a picture of yourself, your co-workers, friends, neighbors, etc... and e-mail them to gbkoger@yahoo.com for a future slide show!! Click here to read about Wyatt's CDH buddies who are also celebrating CDH Awareness Day-
Baby Sofia
Baby Claire
Baby Carter

I'll be up late tonight gluing together turquoise CDH Awareness Ribbons for everyone we know!! All for you Wyatt... You make me very proud.

Read about what we did last year.

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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.