Once I knew this was going to be my life as a CDH mom and that there would always be medical ups and downs, I realized it's all about how you handle each bump in the road. Being a mom of a child with special medical needs made me so much more grateful for all the little things and milestones of Abel’s life!

I share these details to say that even under the direst circumstances, there is HOPE! Yes, there is pain, grief, and fear of loss, but there is always HOPE!

Trey is absolutely thriving! He was able to wean from the oxygen completely in January after 4 months of being home. He is still 100% G-tube fed but is beginning to show more and more interest in purees and food. Trey truly had a story to tell, and it was our job to help him tell it. This is only the beginning.

There were many bumps in our road, and she still needed half a liter to keep her stats up where they wanted them. We worked on feeds and had the NG tube removed because she was taking full feeds by mouth. At the end of January, we were completely off oxygen. She is now a happy, healthy 5-month-old baby girl!

We are so incredibly proud of Scarlett and everything she has overcome. She continues to amaze us daily with her strength, we are so blessed to be her parents, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for her!

Elijah is growing stronger everyday and beating all the odds that were stacked against him. None of this would be possible without the amazing team at Cincinnati Children’s hospital and the Tiny Hero Foundation and their donors.

His dream is to one day be a sports broadcaster— and he is currently working for our local radio station selling ads and hopefully doing some broadcasting for them in the future.

The high-risk ultrasound is a blur to me now. I don’t recall much of the conversation with the doctor after either, except for when I was asked if we wanted information on terminating the pregnancy. Typing that sentence out physically takes the breath out of me because of the amazing little boy that we now have in our lives.

If I could give any advice to CDH families it would be to stay positive and no matter how hard it may be, never lose hope. And to reach out for support, every story is different, but we’ve all been through the emotional rollercoaster.