Help Rachel and Scott - Corbin's Medical Expenses

Corbin is my 5-month old nephew - my sister's (Rachel) and brother-in law's (Scott)son. Corbin has been through so much in his 5 short months! The day after Corbin was born, he was diagnosed with tracheomalacia (a congenital condition that causes the airway to be floppy and can cause breathing difficulty). Tracheomalacia typically improves as kids grow and usually resolves by the time most children are 18-24 months. This winter, Rachel and Scott made a few emergency trips to Children’s Hospital after Corbin struggled to breathe. Corbin contracted a couple of colds over the winter, which, doctors explained, could be made worse by the tracheomalacia. After being in and out of the hospital for a couple of short stays, Corbin was recently admitted for 5 weeks after his breathing became worse and worse, eventually to the point where he was unable to breathe on his own. He was diagnosed with a cold/bronchiolitis and was intubated. When he had trouble coming off of the ventilator, doctors began testing to learn more about what was causing his breathing issues. They discovered that a blood vessel from his aorta was growing around his trachea (a “vascular ring”). In early February, he had surgery to remove the ring and release the pressure causing the airway blockage. It was a long four-week recovery, while they tried to manage his pain and allow him to heal, before they were finally able to go home.

Two days after being discharged, Corbin again was struggling to breathe at home and was re-admitted to Children’s Hospital. They monitored him for a few days and were prepared to do some further testing to determine why the problem wasn’t going away. As they began the scope procedure to look into his airway, his vitals started crashing and it was all hands on deck. It was then they learned that his airway was nearly 98% obstructed by multiple tracheal rings that had formed complete circles around his airway. They had to perform emergency surgery to go in through his sternum and chest and re-construct his trachea. The road to recovery looks promising, but it is a long one. Corbin will be in the hospital for at least another four weeks recovering. He’s a little warrior and we know he’ll get through this with support from his incredible mom and dad.

As you can imagine, this has taken a toll emotionally and financially on Rachel and Scott. Friends and family have reached out to ask how they can help support Corbin, Rachel, and Scott during this time. We are raising funds to help ease the financial burden of medical bills and lost income while Rachel and Scott focus on helping Corbin recover. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support and for keeping them all in your thoughts and prayers!