Baby Luna's CDH Story: CHERUBS

March 29, 2012

Day 6

We spent a quiet day in the NICU watching Luna relax. We tried to be as quiet as possible so we wouldn't wake her but nosey little Luna opened her eyes several times when she heard us or her nurses talking over her bed. We tried to keep the noise and stimulation down to a very minimum but managed to sneak in some more pics...

the cutest little toes in the world

her nurse yesterday made her a cute little sign for her area

booties courtesy of the CHERUBS HOPE tote bag...unfortunately they are too small for her big feet

thanks to today's visitors: Tio Edwin, Tia Mari, Tia Lourdes, and of course Abuela

Once again, thank you to all who have sent up prayers for Luna's recovery. We continue to pray that she rests well and continues to fight the tough battle against CDH.

I also want to send up a prayer for ALL the babies and families who find themselves in a NICU. It is a very scary place to be in. May God give the families strength and restore health to their babies.

January 21, 2012

CHERUBS HOPE tote bag

I've been meaning to share this wonderful act of kindness and support that we received from the CHERUBS organization after joining their online community back in December. It is a H.O.P.E. tote bag. The acronym stands for Helping Other Parents Expecting.

The tote bag includes a ton of support items and information for parents expecting a CDH baby such as a teddy bear, baby blanket, booties, journal, picture frame, baby hat, disposable camera, hand/footprints kit, CDH baby book, CDH parent reference guide, and various other items. Most of these items have been donated by other CDH families in honor or in memory of their cherubs.

I am so thankful for our tote bag. I have already started using the journal and have the rest of the items all ready to go for when we leave for Philly. If you are parent whose baby is facing a CDH diagnosis please, please, please go to the CHERUBS site to learn about the many ways this organization can support and inform you during your journey.

I look forward to the day when we can pay this act of kindness forward and contribute to creating HOPE tote bags for future CDH families.

What is Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH)?

CDH is characterized by the development, very early in gestation, of a hole in the diaphragm, the breathing muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen. As a result, the intestines and other abdominal organs can move into the chest and compress the developing lungs. This prevents the lungs from growing and developing normally which can cause reduced blood flow to the lungs and pulmonary hypertension.

CDH occurs in about 1 in every 2, 500 live births. The cause of CDH is not yet known. Roughly 50% of babies born with CDH do not survive. Of the 50% that do survive, most will endure long hospital stays, feeding issues, asthma, and other medical problems.