Wyatt James Koger, A Fighter from Birth: Support CDH Awareness- Wear Turquoise on March 31st!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Support CDH Awareness- Wear Turquoise on March 31st!

Tomorrow is CDH Awareness Day! In support of CDH Awareness, please wear turquoise to remember all the warriers that suffer from this birth defect. It is still a daily challenge we struggle with every day after two and half years. Feel free to e-mail me pictures of yourself in turquoise!!! (and I will post them on the blog:))

Here are some facts that I read at http://www.onevoiceforcdh.org/cdhconnection/index.php/understanding-cdh/facts (one of Wyatt's friends- Oliva's famliy created this wonderful webiste)

•Though statistics vary, it is estimated that CDH occurs in 1 out of every 2800 live births each year.
•Live births are babies who survive delivery.

•Undiagnosed cases of CDH often result in death upon delivery.

•Diagnosis usually occurs between 18 and 22 weeks gestation.
•Overall survival rate is reportedly 50%, but each baby is given an individual survival rate based on the severity of the condition.

The diaphragm is made of three muscles that form together around 9 to 11 weeks gestation. The failure to form properly results in CDH.

•The abdominal organs pass through the hole in the diaphragm, crowding the chest cavity. This prevents the heart and lungs from developing properly.
•In LCDH, herniation of the liver into the chest cavity decreases the chance of survival.

•Most babies with herniation of the liver require ECMO.

I was told that Wyatt had one of the worst survivable cases CDH. Wyatt herniation was on his left side (LCDH) with the liver up, 90% of his diaphragm missing and was on ECMO that lead to several other complications such as a head bleed (IVH grade 4) and vocal cord persis. He still can not walk or eat, but through the wonderful doctors at Hopkins and prayers by many people, he survived and is a thriving two year old. Here are some pics of my miracles:

We went to dinner at our local country dinner across the street to meet the Easter Bunny!

Wyatt did not want to pose with the Easter Bunny, but he did not keep his eyes off the Easter Bunny!

Hand Painting!

We order food for Wyatt even though he does not eat. He always asks for a hamburger and ketchup!!

Chloe going to school today decked out in her turquoise ribbon and a surprise t-shirt! Check back tomorrow to see what she is wearing:))

1 comment:

Danielle said...: Chloe is ready for CDH day!; March 30, 2010 at 8:07 PM

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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.