Meet Bella
BELLA'S STORY
Our pregnancy was going as expected when we discovered, during a routine ultrasound, that Bella suffered from CDH. At the time, we didn’t know the implications of the diagnosis. We anticipated delivery at our local hospital, followed up with a quick patch and discharge.
We quickly learned the dire circumstances surrounding a CDH diagnosis. After talking with medical professionals and scouring the internet it was apparent that in order to give Bella the best chances, we were to travel to Iowa City for her birth, and subsequent care. That decision, likely saved her life.
What a long road it was, filled with uncertainty. After delivery, Bella was placed on a conventional ventilator. Within hours her pulmonary abilities deteriorated necessitating her transition to a high frequency oscillator. The outlook continued to decline as at day of life two, due to pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary hypoplasia, Bella was placed on ECMO. It was a devastating blow as we had asked her care team to be completely honest with us. Due to the honesty and expectation management of her team, we were fully aware of the severity of her disease.
During her stay at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Bella spent 8 days on ECMO with many complications. To this day, we are unsure as to what caused Bella to need her ECMO oxygenator changed 5 times. This was, and continues to be an anomaly to her care team.
Due to the continued emergent complications that were arising, her CDH repair could not wait any longer. The NICU staff got Bella stable enough for surgery and at day of life 29, Dr Pitcher and his team successfully repaired her hernia utilizing a patch. It was the beginning of the road to her recovery.
Her list of complications would now manifest in the forms of sepsis, a pneumothorax with a chest tube placement, a hemothorax, pleural effusion, countless collapsed lungs, cholelithiasis with a gall bladder perforation that caused cholecystitis and GI issues that ultimately led to a g-tube placement.
After 55 days of intubation, 3 surgeries and a grand total of 120 days in the NICU, Bella was finally discharged. After 4 months, she finally got to meet her puppy, and sleep in her crib. We thank the Fore Hadley Foundation for their generous gift to help us through the next stage of her recovery.
Between frequent trips to Iowa City, medical supplies, hypoallergenic formula and adaptive clothing that come with a CDH baby, the contribution from the Fore Hadley Foundation is a truly helped to alleviate the financial struggles associated with CDH.
- As told by Alex Burkett aka “Mom”
About the Fore Hadley Angels in the NICU Fund
Support and proceeds for the Fore Hadley Angels in the NICU Fund will go towards assisting current and future families like Landen’s, by providing financial contributions to assist families with the costs associated with extended, long distance travel and living arrangements. Costs that are often a must to ensure the proper specialty care for CDH babies.