Matthew’s Story - Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH)

This sweet, happy, and brave boy is Matthew. He was born with an undiagnosed Morgagni hernia, a rare form of CDH that accounts for less than 2% of all congenital diaphragmatic hernias. His story is nothing short of a miracle, and we are honored that he chose us as parents. Born Mother's Day 2017, Matthew quickly went into respiratory distress after birth. He was monitored in the NICU for several days, and we went home. Although no imagery was ordered at the time, I often recall this day and think, what if. His first few months were filled with recurrent respiratory and ear infections and many trips to the doctor. But it would be close to 5 months later and a trip to the emergency room at our local children's hospital satellite location before we would get his CDH diagnosis. Matthew's respiratory infections were so common that he would only spend days, sometimes hours, without a cough. Part of his transverse colon was sitting in his thoracic cavity. I sat in that room holding my son in tears as I was prompted to urgently take him to the emergency room downtown. I was told that surgery was emergent, but due to his respiratory infection and cough, he would not be eligible for surgery until he was better. He was scheduled for surgery a month later, only for it to be canceled due to health concerns. He was 8 months old when he underwent laparoscopic hernia repair.

Through everything, he has and continues to radiate joy and happiness. He is the happiest boy you will ever meet and has faced every challenge with such grace and compassion. Matthew would later be diagnosed with tracheal malacia, and due to his recurrent ear infections, he would require tympanostomy tubes and adenoid removal. He was also diagnosed with asthma and has an expressive speech delay. But these things don't define him; they are a part of his journey. He has met and exceeded every challenge in his own time. In his short three years, this brave boy has taught us more than we ever could have imagined. He lives life to the fullest and touches everyone's heart. We are so very proud of all of his accomplishments!