My brother Hunt & I were born a couple months early on December 22nd, 2010 in Washington, D.C. Mommy told the nurses we were the best Christmas gift ever and daddy was overheard shouting with glee the exact same thing to his accountant! They must be good friends.
But all kidding aside my story starts before that. An early sonogram revealed I had an omphalocele ~ for me this meant my liver was developing outside of my abdomen. Thankfully my identical brother was fine but this condition can be an indicator of other potential problems so were paired up with the great medical team at Children's.
Hunt and I were chomping at the bit to get out so after 4 days of labor mommy gave birth to us on the 1st day of Winter. I tipped the scales at only 3.5lbs soDr. Timothy Kane decided I should wait to have surgery till I grew bigger. Being a fellow Steelers fan I had to accept his advice and Children's NICU became my home for a couple months.
The nurses could not have given better care and kind company which helped my parents travel to and from home making sure Hunt was developing well. They shared things like personal driving routes, decorated my room on Steelers game days, warmed my milk, gave neat gifts from the Hospital's annual holiday toy drive and sometimes just let my folks know it was OK to be tired and go home and rest ~ they had it covered.
Soon I myself was allowed to go home and work on growing so I could have my liver repaired. Regular appointments with Dr. Kane and other specialists kept me on track and my parents encouraged. Finally in August I had my surgery and was out of the hospital in less than a week and have not looked back since. I'm left with a decent sized scar stretching from my chest to my belly button but it is a good reminder of what I have already overcome in my short life and the amazing care I have received.
So I am doing great but not 100% out of the woods yet. Now I am collaborating with my cardiologist Dr. Lowell Frank. He is going to operate on my heart down the road in a year or two once I am a big boy but he promises I will not have any physical restrictions placed on me when done. I may not be ready for the London 2012 Summer Olympics but he assures me there is no reason I won't be prepared come 2028!
I want to thank everyone associated with Children's National who have and will continue to help me. My long term prognosis is outstanding because so many have donated to the Foundation in the past. A lot of my friends and their families I met on the NICU floor have much bigger challenges ahead of them. Children's gives kids of all ages and backgrounds a chance at a good life. If you are searching for a worthwile place to donate time, gifts and/or money please consider the Children's National Foundation. I am living proof of the miracles they perform on a daily basis.
Yours truly,
Log
