Wyatt James Koger, A Fighter from Birth

I am a Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) baby. My diaphragm developed with a hole in it and my organs were misplaced in my chest cavity. The organs pushed on my lungs, causing one lung to be very small. I was born on October 9, 2007 at Johns Hopkins. Now it is three years later: I am saying a bunch of words, I still receive foods through a g-tube and am on oxygen while I sleep. I can't walk yet, but believe I can out scoot anyone! Here is the story of my amazing and patient recovery.

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.

Wyatt James Koger, A Fighter from Birth

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Discovering Nature in our Backyard....

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