Six-year-old Louis McGill is exactly the kind of kid who fills a room without trying. He sings, he dances, he makes friends wherever he goes. He loves baseball, swimming and playing outside with his little brother, Presley. “He’s a big entertainer,” his mom, Laura, said. “He just loves people.” That joy has been a constant…
Hattie Etling’s heart journey began before she was born, with a diagnosis so complex it required advanced planning, innovative imaging and a highly specialized heart team. Hattie was diagnosed before birth with heterotaxy syndrome and complex congenital heart disease. Her care team at Norton Children’s Heart Institute knew her untypical anatomy would present extraordinary challenges….
On a seemingly normal July day, Charles and Samantha Rockwell never imagined their lives were about to change forever. Samantha, who was not even four months pregnant, had just finished a long, 15-hour workday when she began feeling stomach pains. “I thought maybe it was nothing,” she recalled. “But two hours later, we were holding…
Madden Baechle was born at just 25 weeks’ gestation, weighing 1 pound, 10 ounces. He spent 152 days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Norton Children’s Hospital, facing life-threatening complications and undergoing 13 surgeries. Today, those NICU struggles feel like a distant memory, as 11-year-old Madden recently stepped onto the field at Western…
When a baby needs specialized care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) the hospital stay can last for months, and sometimes far from home. Now, a new program at Norton Children’s offers a way for families to stay connected to their NICU babies — even from afar. AngelEye is a secure camera system installed…
Christmas Day 2023 brought the most precious gift to Jeffrey “J.T.” Fletcher’s future parents — the news that they were expecting their first baby. They felt a whirlwind of nerves and excitement as they imagined their growing family. Everything seemed normal until a routine anatomy scan revealed something unexpected. “The ultrasound showed that the baby’s…
When Amanda Redmon was 29 weeks pregnant — about seven months along — she received news that would change everything. An ultrasound revealed that her son, Cole, had an opening in the diaphragm, the muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen. When a child has this condition, known as congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), the…
When Libby Means was pregnant with her son Hayes, she faced every expectant parent’s worst fear. Throughout her pregnancy, doctors discovered she had little to no amniotic fluid —a condition that often signals serious complications for the baby. The medical team discussed with Libby and her family the possibility that Hayes might not survive after…
From his very first breath, Vincent Taul defied expectations. “We weren’t sure what to expect, but doctors main concern was how he was going to be able to breathe when he was born,” said Madeline Taul, Vincent’s mom. Madeline recalls having a normal, healthy pregnancy until her 20-week ultrasound revealed something unusual. “I noticed there…
After 622 days in the neonatal intensive care unit at Norton Children’s Hospital, Kingston Bryant finally got to go home. It was a moment his family had been dreaming of for nearly two years. Born at just 25 weeks of gestation, weighing less than a pound, Kingston entered the world fighting for his life. From…
At just 18 years old, Tara Goodwin faced every expectant mother’s worst fear: learning her unborn child might have a serious congenital medical condition. The beginning: An unexpected challenge During a routine prenatal appointment at 20 weeks, Tara’s OB/GYN delivered concerning news. Baby Huston was showing markers for a tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF), a rare congenital…
Caspian Kerley is a tenacious little fighter. From a 1-pound baby who had slim odds of surviving — to a 1-year-old who is now thriving, Caspian just might be proof that miracles can happen inside the tiny baby unit at Norton Children’s Hospital. Caspian’s mom, Shadow, experienced a journey to motherhood that was filled with…