Help Kristen Stay With Grayson!

Meet Kristen & Wesley Snider

Their little boy, Grayson, was born May 24th with an undiagnosed congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). This is a life threatening birth defect where the diaphragm partially forms and allows for other organs to enter the chest cavity. Grayson’s case of CDH was severe and his diaphragm only formed 5% which allowed his stomach, intestines, and part of his liver to enter the left side of his chest. This prevented his left lung from growing to its normal size and pushed his heart to the right side of his chest.

When Grayson was born, he was life flighted to Children’s of Alabama and placed on ECMO which is a form of life-support. Grayson underwent his CDH repair on 5/26, but things quickly went south and 3 more surgeries were done in the next 24 hours to stop internal bleeding. Grayson spent 5 weeks in total on ECMO waiting on his lungs to open up enough to switch him to a ventilator. His NICU stay has been complicated by dialysis, pulmonary hypertension, PDA in his heart, blockage in intestines, compartment syndrome, long time use of sedation medicine that he will have to be weaned off of, etc.

Grayson is currently 2 months old, and he unfortunately still has a long hospital stay ahead of him. Due to CDH, he is still on a ventilator and will be for awhile longer while we wait on his lungs to grow and get stronger. He also has been unable to eat due to a partial blockage in his stomach that may need to be fixed surgically. He is currently being fed by IV.

Grayson is such a fighter and I am so grateful for every single second of his life. He is honestly a miracle! It is so important for Kristen to be with him both while he is in the hospital and when he is released. He still has a huge battle ahead of him.

The phrase “it takes a village” has never meant more to them. Anyone that can donate so Kristen can continue to stay at the hospital with Grayson will be greatly appreciated!