We have come a long ways

Weston was born on the 9th of July with CDH, he was taken via cesarean section because we knew of this condition. He was intabated right after he was born and then taken up to the NICU to be put on a ventilator and for the doctors to examine him. He did really good for the first 15 hours, which his doctor called his 'honeymoon period' because at 5:30 in the morning we got the call to release him so they could perform the surgery to place him on ECMO a lung by pass machine. Which when we went to visit his surgeon he told us that if we hear the word ECMO that it is very serious and that our baby probably would not make it. We prayed and prayed. Two days after Weston's birth his surgeon performed his hernia repair while he was on ECMO, we praise God that he did. Weston had both his lungs, his right lung was there but we were not sure of its functionality and his left lung was only a nub, 20% formed. Weston only had 10% of his diaphragm formed and everything was in his chest(stomach, bowels, liver, and intestines) they were not able to close Weston completely after his surgery because he didn't have enough skin, so they had to place a patch over his stomach and then performed that surgery at 2 weeks later and were able to close him up. Praise God, Weston was successfully taken off of ECMO after a couple of attempts, he was on ECMO for 10 days. He was placed on a conventional ventilator but after his CO2 levels kept climbing they had to place him on an oscillating ventilator for 15 days and praise God his levels started to level back off and he was able to wean back down to the conventional ventilator. Weston was doing very good and the doctors were weaning him really good until he caught a staph infection in his ventilator tube and had to fight off that infection which made them have to increase his flow and raise him back up. After two months he was finally extabated and we were able to hold our angel for the first time, he was two months old. It was so amazing, to finally hold our newborn baby, he enjoyed it too. First they put him on VapoTherm and weaned him down really good and got him down to regular nasal cannulas and after two and half months he was free of oxygen and breathing room air...Praise God! After three months in the NICU we were blessed to bring our son home, it was the most exciting day, to know that God had answered our prayers and made our son well enough to be left in our care.

Weston came home in October and in November he caught pneumonia and was in the hospital for three days and we were so blessed that he was able to come home the day before Thanksgiving, we had so much to be thankful for.

We have kept Weston in isolation since he left the NICU and were getting so excited that in April we would be able to take him out because that would be the end of flu and RSV season, which Weston is really susceptible to because of his lungs. We almost made it, but the end of March Weston caught RSV and started to develop pneumonia. He stayed in the PICU for three days and on the regular pediatric floor for two, we are so blessed that he came home stronger and we know each battle(sickness) he overcomes makes him stronger. We praise God every day for our miracle our angel.

I cannot wait to share more about our angel as he grows to give others hope and to know that there are survivors. Weston is home on an NG tube he has oral aversion so we are slowly getting him to take foods by mouth. He is on a little bit of oxygen and we are weaning that day everyday. His scar is a constant reminder of how special he is and how blessed we are.