Luka

A CDH Warrior

My child was born with a condition called Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia - CDH for short. This condition means he doesn’t have a diaphragm that separates his abdomen from his chest, so all his organs were in his chest in utero and birth, crowding his lungs and heart. Luka was born at 34 weeks, weighing only 4lbs 12 oz, and was immediately placed on life support at birth. Six hours later, he was placed on the highest form of life support, ECMO, for a total of 2 weeks. We spent an initial 7 months inpatient from birth and off and on since then. Luka is the happiest baby and brings our family so much happiness. He has faced many, many challenges but smiles through them daily.