Family travels cross-country for life-changing care
Ester and her husband Samuel were eagerly waiting to discover their baby’s gender when the ultrasound revealed that their baby boy had spina bifida, a condition that prevents the spine from developing correctly. The couple was connected with Timothy M. Crombleholme, MD, Fetal Surgeon at Connecticut Children’s who could perform an in-utero surgery to help correct the condition and give their son a better chance at a healthier life. Ester decided she wanted to proceed, so she, Samuel, and their daughter Rebecca traveled from their home in Oregon to Connecticut for the surgery. The surgery went well, but a few weeks later, Ester returned to the hospital with severe bleeding; it turned out she was going into labor early and had to have a C-section. Immediately after birth, their newborn, Thaddeus, went straight to the NICU. At first, Thaddeus had no movement in his legs, but after a few weeks in the NICU, he could move around and showed signs of significant improvement. Today, the family is back in Oregon and is grateful for the care they received.
