Quillan’s CDH Story
We received Quillan’s diagnosis at our 21-week anatomy scan. To say we were nervous about what to expect would be an understatement. But the teams at Children’s Minnesota gave us information, support, and a plan for when Quillan was born.
Quillan made his arrival on January 17, 2024—almost four weeks early. We still weren’t sure what kind of support he would need, but our medical teams were ready for anything.
We were over the moon that Mom was able to hold him for about a minute and Dad was able to cut the cord before Quillan was whisked away to be sedated and intubated.
At 7 days old, Quillan underwent surgery to repair his CDH. It was during surgery that we discovered just how large his hernia was. He had essentially no diaphragm on his left side, which came as a surprise to everyone, so he received a large patch.
The rest of his hospital stay felt like an eternity at the time, but looking back, it really did fly by. Slowly, Quillan came off his oxygen support, started taking feedings by mouth, and weaned from his medications—which was probably the hardest part.
After 56 days in the hospital, we finally brought our baby boy home on March 13.
That time would have been impossible without the incredible support of the nurses, doctors, and hospital staff who cared for Quillan, as well as the Ronald McDonald House, our family and friends, and the support we found online.
The CDH community is vast and diverse, and we share in each other’s successes and defeats. It’s not a group you ever ask to be a part of, but we are so grateful for the way everyone comes together to offer support, understanding, and hope.
Today, Quillan is 2 years old and thriving.
He is active, loves to climb, and has an amazing sense of humor. His patch is holding strong, and his medical teams continue to follow his journey and are impressed with his progress.
We know there will always be more to learn as Quillan grows, but for now, we are simply grateful to watch him do what he does best—grow, explore, laugh, and live life to the fullest.
