Aria’s Story - Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH)

Aria's CDH story began with my 20-week anatomy scan ultrasound. We were so excited to find out and share the gender of the baby with our family that we did not think once about there being anything wrong. The ultrasound tech gave us the gender in an envelope and sent my husband back out in the hall because of COVID-19 restrictions. When my OB/GYN, Dr. Christina Maddox, came in, the look on her face was not as pleasant as it usually was. Before we were blessed with Aria, we suffered a miscarriage months before, and I remembered that same look and compassion. During my talk with the doctor, she explained that she saw a hole in the baby's diaphragm. Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia is what she called it. After telling me that, she was worried and wanted me to transfer to UAB. My mind went completely blank.

Like most CDH parents, I was asked if I wanted to terminate the pregnancy and I declined immediately. Nothing could change how I felt about my only baby girl. Aria was classified as a severe CDH case and there wasn't much hope from the doctors. After the first appointment at the new hospital, I rallied our closest family and friends to send up prayers for Aria. We remained hopeful that things would change for the better.

On March 11, 2021, Aria Skye Pickett was born and at 4 days old, she had her CDH repair surgery. It was a success, but things started to get scarier and scarier each day. Aria was on ECMO for weeks with multiple machine changes. There were days when the nurses and doctors started to prepare us to let go, but we never gave up. Aria went through multiple surgeries and procedures. We remained faithful to God and believed that He would change their minds. After one day of holding her while on ECMO, things began to change, and it was like we breathed life into each other. I came into the hospital ready to hold her every day after that. Just having a mustard seed of faith that shined through, Aria had a complete shift. After 5 months in the NICU, multiple surgeries, and procedures, Aria was cleared to go home. We have been inseparable ever since.

Today, Aria is the most independent, beautiful, and determined baby I know. To all the CDH families that are reading this, keep the faith! During our journey, someone told me that CDH is not a race, it's a marathon! My mom gave Aria the nickname "Turtle" for that very reason. Slow and steady!