Every single day, LJ chose life. On the 81st day, we were told our miracle boy was going home. The journey wasn’t over—he came home on oxygen and with an NG tube—but he came home. LJ is proof that even in the darkest moments, miracles can grow from unimaginable pain. Today, he is one year old and thriving.

At just 9 days old, Kalena underwent life-saving surgery for left-sided CDH. Complications led to a pleural effusion and emergency treatment, followed by months of procedures and recovery. After a five-month hospital stay, she finally came home. Today, Kalena is a thriving 8-year-old, and her family is forever grateful to the team who saved her life.

We are forever grateful for the incredible care Nicholas received at CHOP. There aren’t enough words to express how thankful we are to the doctors, nurses, and everyone who walked alongside us during this journey. Nicholas is truly our miracle, and we couldn’t be more proud of him!

At 5 months on the dot (153 days approximately), Teddy came home with an NJ tube and no oxygen. Tiny Hero was a lifeline for me during our NICU stay, and I’m so happy to share our story to encourage other CDH families!

Today, Zy is a happy, mostly healthy baby. He loves to play with his siblings, clap his hands, and climb on everything. He has mastered eating by mouth, crawling, pulling himself up to stand, and walking while holding onto something. For everything he has been through, he is the happiest baby we know, and we couldn’t be more blessed and in love!

Hazel was discharged without any medications, respiratory support, or other kinds of wires, just fortified breastmilk. She gained weight quickly and came off the fortified breastmilk at four months old. Hazel turned one this month and she is a very happy, healthy, and active baby.

Amelia is almost four months old and absolutely thriving and doing ALL the growing baby things. I look at her with such admiration because all I see is strength in such a little body. Her big brother is her best friend, her dog is her biggest protector, and her parents are grateful each and every day for our wonderful, resilient - Tiny Hero.

For the families who get this diagnosis, with the right team, strength, support, love, and belief in a positive outcome, you will emerge in a world that seems unimaginable at first. The outcome is so different from the beginning. It's a slow, brutal path in the starting weeks and months, but seeing this blessing in action now makes those days feel like a distant memory.

When I tell people about his story, they are shocked that this is the same baby. He is a thriving, happy, and healthy little guy. Weston is a speedy crawler and pulls himself to stand. He just started cruising along tables and couches. Some of his favorite things include watching Miss Rachel on TV, chasing after our dog, playing with cars, eating French fries, and laughing at his big brother!

If I could talk to myself or someone else in my position during those dark few days shortly after diagnosis, I would tell her that there can be a happy story. You can find strength you did not know you possessed, and you can find support to get through the long days. Charlotte is still full of fire. I can't wait until she is older and I can share with her just how amazing she really is!

Asaiah was born at 32 months and 2 weeks and has been fighting ever since. He is now 2 months old now and currently taking 80 ML. He is stable on CPAP and we might consider rehab for him in the near future. He is our Tiny Hero.

Oliver is our little warrior and so very smart. He can give a high five, clap, and sit up all by himself. He is the happiest, sweetest little boy in the world. He has been through so much in his short life here, and he is the absolute strongest baby!

We never expected her CDH journey to be that quick, but we are so lucky that it was. You would never know what that first month of her life entailed, and there will never be enough thank you’s in the world to thank Dr. Hedrick and every other doctor/nurse who took care of her. She is our strong and brave little girl, and she has been a rockstar since day one.

But in this first year of life, if there is anything Jax has proven, it’s that he is a damn survivor. He has and continues to beat the odds and he proves everyone wrong ALL THE TIME. Watching him succeed has been so humbling, so inspiring, and has encouraged me to have faith in a tiny little human.