Sydney Taborelli was born on Nov. 5, 2008 at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia with a severe birth defect called Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH). The right side of the diaphragm did not develop and her liver, intestines, stomach, and gallbladder were up in the chest cavity. The growth of her lungs was compromised. Her right lung is 20% the size and the left lung is 75% the size they should be. She was put on a ventilator immediately. Six hours after birth Sydney had to be put on ECMO which is an artificial lung. Her diaphragm was repaired nine days after birth. A patch made of Gortex was used to make the right side of the diaphragm. At 19 days of life she was taken off of ECMO because of a bleed on her brain. The Doctors were not sure she would survive. On December 24, 2008 Sydney was taken off of the ventilator and put on High Flow nasal cannulas. She worked very hard to breath for 2 1/2 weeks but then had to go back on the ventilator.
Information on Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) is a birth defect that occurs when the diaphragm does not fully form, allowing organs to enter the chest cavity preventing lung growth. CDH strikes 1 in every 2,500 babies – 1,600 babies each year in the U.S. alone. CDH occurs just as often as Cystic Fibrosis, Spina Bifida, and Down Syndrome but Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernias often have fatal results. Approximately 50% of all CDH births result in death.