Zaria's Story - Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH)

Last year was the most trying time of my life. In early December of 2020, I divorced my wife and received full custody of our little girl, Zaria. I know no one likes to talk about the elephant in the room. And this is one of those stories.

Our daughter Zaria, who is now just 2 years old, was born in August of 2018. We did not get any warning that she had CDH. So trust me, as a parent, I understand the shock of this condition as we had absolutely no time to prepare. Thanks to the knowledgeable doctors at Sarasota Memorial and their quick response, they were able to save her life. Zaria was then transported to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. The same day I had to drive myself and my wife to John Hopkins. Zaria had surgery a few weeks later and, thankfully, was on the better end of the spectrum.

We learned all we could possibly know about CDH. Another CDH parent told us about Tiny Hero. They were a Godsend! Once Zaria was able to come home with us, things were progressing very well. We were lucky with only a few minor concerns along the way. When Zaria became 15 months old, I started working more. My wife stayed home with her every day. As our daughter became more active, my wife, unfortunately, became overwhelmed.

I've managed to take excellent care of my daughter, and we have bonded like nothing I've ever experienced. The doctors say she is progressing very well. She is such a sweet and loving child. I can't imagine my life without her. I have seen other marriages of CDH survivors fall apart. No one likes to talk about it. All I can suggest is to focus on your child as they are truly God's gift to us to care for.