“I’ve been asked about my scar more times than I can count. As a kid, it made me feel ashamed. Now, I see it for what it truly is a symbol of survival. Today, I wear that scar with pride.”

- Pamela Gonzalez

Pamela Gonzalez

College: Anglo American University - Fall, 2025

Her CDH Story: My story begins before birth. At four months pregnant, my 22-year-old mom learned I had CDH. The neonatologist told her, “Your baby girl has a diaphragmatic hernia. She probably won’t make it. At least you’ll have a healthy baby boy.” My mom was confused and heartbroken. In 2007, what little she found online was grim, survival rates were low, and long-term health issues were common.

At 34 weeks, she developed preeclampsia, and doctors decided it was time to deliver. Over 20 medical professionals filled the room: two for my mom, two for my twin brother, and the rest focused on keeping me alive. I was resuscitated within minutes of birth and immediately intubated. My mom got to hold my hand for a brief moment before I was rushed to a children’s hospital 30 minutes away.

Scans revealed that my spleen, kidney, and intestines had migrated into my chest, severely compressing my lungs. My left lung was less than half the normal size, and my right lung about three-quarters. At that point, my chance of survival dropped to 10%. But I made it after multiple surgeries and three months in the NICU, I finally went home.

As I grew older, I started to understand what I had survived. I’ve been asked about my scar more times than I can count. As a kid, it made me feel ashamed. Now, I see it for what it truly is a symbol of survival. Today, I wear that scar with pride. I’ve maintained a 4.0 GPA, started a business, taken on leadership roles, volunteered in my community, and joined sports teams. I might get winded more easily, but I push harder and train smarter.

I’m proud of my CDH journey. It has shaped me into someone resilient, empathetic, and determined. What I once saw as overprotective parenting, I now understand as fierce love. Every appointment, every missed moment it was all part of the fight. And we won. Together.

Hobbies and Interests: Pamela knows how to stay busy - she is a member of the varsity lacrosse team, school student council, Folkloric History Club, and serves as a peer mentor to fellow students. In her free time, Pamela spends time reading, crocheting and knitting. She volunteered as a teaching assistant at one of the local K-8 schools to help with their summer programs and also volunteers at a local homeless shelter.

Professional Aspirations: Pamela will be studying public relations and marketing starting next year, and wants to use those skills to support the work of charities like the Fore Hadley Foundation. She sees herself helping promote CDH awareness through powerful digital storytelling, social media strategy, and fundraising campaigns that highlight the faces and stories behind this diagnosis. CDH isn’t just a medical term, it’s a deeply emotional experience.

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