Published: November 10, 2025
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
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 hole allows organs from the belly, like the stomach or intestines, to move up into the chest cavity where the lungs are developing. For babies with CDH, this means their lungs don’t have enough room to grow properly, which can make breathing very difficult after birth.
The medical team knew Cole would need surgery soon after delivery to have any chance at a healthy life.
As Amanda’s pregnancy continued, fluid began building up around Cole — a complication that needed immediate attention. Doctors performed an amniocentesis reduction, a procedure where they carefully inserted a needle through Amanda’s belly to drain the excess fluid and relieve pressure. It was meant to buy them more time, but Cole had other plans. The very next morning, Amanda was rushed in for an emergency cesarean section. At just 30 weeks — 10 weeks early—Cole entered the world.
He was immediately admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Norton Children’s Hospital, where Amanda and her family would spend the next four months of their lives.
For six agonizing days, Amanda and her family waited while Cole’s tiny body stabilized enough for surgery. At less than a week old, Cole underwent his first major operation. Stewart R. Carter, M.D., pediatric general surgeon with Norton Children’s Surgery, carefully repaired the hole in Cole’s diaphragm and repositioned his tiny organs back where they belonged.
Surviving the surgery was just the beginning for Cole. His lungs were underdeveloped, and he struggled to get enough oxygen. The medical team began using the Vapotherm system — a specialized breathing support device that delivers warm, humidified air to help premature babies breathe easier. For weeks, Amanda watched the monitors attentively, seeing Cole’s oxygen levels climb and fall in an exhausting pattern. Every number felt like a victory or a setback.
When Cole was just a 1½ months old, doctors discovered he had developed bilateral inguinal hernias — bulges in his groin area on both sides, where tissue pushes through weak spots in the abdominal wall. According to Dr. Carter, babies with diaphragmatic hernias are more prone to developing other hernias because their abdominal muscles and tissues may be weaker overall.
Left untreated, hernias may develop complications, including:
As Cole slowly recovered, a new challenge emerged: eating. Many premature babies and those with breathing issues struggle to coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing — skills that full-term babies develop naturally. Amanda desperately wanted Cole to learn to take a bottle so he could avoid needing a G-tube (gastrostomy tube), a feeding tube surgically placed directly into the stomach through the belly wall.
Enter Robin Gowin, a speech therapist who specializes in helping babies learn to eat. (Yes, speech therapists work with babies — they have expertise in all aspects of mouth and throat function!) Robin became Cole’s champion, working with him day after day, trying every technique and approach she could think of. She and Amanda formed a bond built on hope and determination.
Despite everyone’s best efforts, Cole’s little body just couldn’t handle bottle feeding safely. The risk of aspiration — where food or liquid goes into the lungs instead of the stomach — was too high. On July 31, 2024, Dr. Carter placed a G-tube so Cole could receive the nutrition he needed to grow and thrive.
Nine days later, on Aug. 9, 2024, after 115 days in the NICU — nearly four months — Amanda finally got to take her baby boy home. Cole still needed oxygen therapy through small tubes in his nose and all his nutrition through the G-tube, but they were together under their own roof.
The celebration was short-lived. Just six days later, Cole came down with COVID-19 and developed pneumonia. His oxygen levels plummeted, and they were back in the hospital for another week.
Amanda wasn’t giving up. Armed with advice and constant support from the NICU nurses who had become like family, she worked tirelessly with Cole. Slowly but surely, he began taking more from the bottle. By January 2025, Cole was eating entirely by mouth, and the G-tube was removed.
The pneumonia, however, kept coming back. Cole was admitted to the hospital five more times with recurring lung infections. Doctors suspected silent aspiration — where small amounts of liquid slip into the lungs without obvious coughing or choking — but they also considered other factors: germs brought in from siblings at school and the challenges of a still-developing respiratory system.
Today, Cole is thriving. He no longer needs the G-tube, oxygen therapy or any other medical support. He’s a strong, healthy little boy with a fighting spirit that carried him through more challenges in his first year than most people face in a lifetime.
Amanda credits the entire team at Norton Children’s Hospital — Dr. Carter, Robin and countless nurses, therapists and specialists — along with family and friends who became an extended support system.“Because of them, our baby is home, happy and healthy,” Amanda said. “I could not be more thankful for our journey and for our sweet boy.”
“We repaired the CDH when Cole was 3.3 pounds,” said Dr. Carter. “We offer minimally invasive procedures for even our smallest patients.”
Cole’s story is a testament to modern medicine, dedicated health care professionals, and a mother’s unwavering love. From that first frightening ultrasound at 29 weeks to his triumphant recovery, Cole proved he was a fighter from the very start.
Families like Amanda’s benefit from the coordinated expertise of the Norton Children’s Fetal Care Program. Through this program, expectant parents receive comprehensive support from diagnosis to delivery and beyond — connecting maternal-fetal medicine, neonatology, pediatric surgery and other specialties under one care plan. For babies like Cole, that preparation can make all the difference, ensuring every child has the best possible start to life.