Our sweet, strong girl, Claire Hamilton, was born on 4/10/25 and surprised us with a number of congenital birth anomalies under what’s known as VACTERL Association.

She had her first surgery at 3 days old to reconnect her esophagus to her stomach. She will also require another surgery this fall, to address her remaining GI complications. From the initial surgery, it was discovered that she had a critically small airway (about the size of a cocktail straw) due to a number of airway complications.

We were transferred from Yale to Mass General Hospital in Boston, where it was determined that the best way for Claire to finally go home and thrive was to have a trach placed in her airway. She will have an airway reconstruction surgery next summer, once she is big and strong enough.

After 49 incredibly long days in the NNICU, we were finally able to bring our baby home to meet her loving and excited big brother, Jack.

Claire is a true fighter, beating the odds and exceeding expectations every step of the way. We are in awe of her strength every day, and it’s been incredible to watch her grow and reach her milestones at home, but she still has a long road ahead.

We wouldn’t be where we are today without the love and support of our friends, family, and the community we’ve built along the way. We’re hoping for continued support to help with Claire’s medical expenses, caregiving, and preparation for her airway surgery next summer. Any donations and even just the sharing of her story, is appreciated from the bottom of our hearts.