Naomi’s CDH Story

Naomi was born on December 5th, 2025 and from her very first week of life, she showed us just how brave she truly is.

During her first week in the NICU, Naomi was intubated and underwent her CDH repair surgery. She had a moderate case, and her surgical team was able to repair her hernia laparoscopically — a successful surgery that gave her the patch she needed and the fresh start she deserved. From there, her recovery journey began.

One by one, medicines were weaned as she healed and no longer needed them. After about a week, she transitioned to a CPAP, and feedings through a feeding tube began. She started to thrive. A couple of weeks later, her team did a room air test — and she passed. That day was so very exciting for our family. It meant we were one step closer to being together at home, under the same roof.

After 24 hours on room air, Naomi started bottle feeding. Those days were joyous. Watching her do so well filled us with a kind of happiness that is hard to put into words.

Around January 15th, talk of discharge started floating around — and what wonderful news that was. Her team made it official: Naomi would be coming home on January 19th. We were ecstatic.

That morning, we packed our things and headed to the hospital to gather Naomi's belongings and bring our girl home. When the moment finally came and we walked out of those doors with our precious, brave baby girl, we were nervous but more than anything, we were overflowing with joy. She came home healthy, with no oxygen support and no feeding tube. The drive home took about 13 to 14 hours with stops for feedings and diaper changes along the way, and every single one of those stops was a gift.

Fast forward to now, Naomi is six months old and absolutely thriving. She is always smiling. She has started laughing. She loves spending time with her family, reading books, and talking to anyone who will listen. Her strength is remarkable. Her first month of life was hard and traumatic, but she has shown us that she can handle so much and that she can do anything.

We are so incredibly proud of how far she has come, and we cannot wait to see everything she will accomplish. None of this would have been possible without Tiny Hero, Texas Children's Hospital Houston, and the Ronald McDonald House. We are forever grateful.

She is so loved and she knows it!