Baby Thornton - CDH

After an exciting ultrasound visit when Amber-Lea and Michael found out Hudson would be having a baby sister, they received a phone call from their doctor four hours later telling them that their baby was diagnosed with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH), a critical and in some cases, fatal condition. Recently the baby’s lungs got to 25% so they are being transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto where Amber-Lea will have utero surgery next week to put a balloon down the baby’s throat to try and help the lungs grow so that baby Thornton can have the surgery to fix the hole in her diaphragm when she is born.

CDH is a rare condition where the baby's diaphragm is not fully formed. Instead, the diaphragm has a hole in it and organs then move out of place through the hole. In Amber’s case, the baby’s stomach, bowels and liver are in her chest. Because these organs are in the chest, they push the heart over and take up the space the lungs need in order to fully develop. Once the baby is born and able to sustain surgery, the doctors will work to repair the hernia and shift her organs to their proper position.

The reason we are setting up this fundraiser is that throughout the remainder of Amber-Lea’s pregnancy, they will need to live in Toronto so they can be monitored very closely by her OB and specialized team of doctors. Unfortunately, Ronald McDonald house is only available for families after the baby is born so for the next 10 weeks they will need to stay in Toronto at a cost of $200 a night. We are asking for any help you can give for these wonderful parents who are doing everything they can to give their baby the best fighting chance.

Thank you for any support and prayers!