Joaquin’s NICU Journey to Come Home

After 351 days in the NICU, our brother Patrick and sister in law Jasmine are finally getting ready to bring Joaquin home. For those of you who don't know the story about our little warrior, here it is...

Our nephew, Joaquin, didn’t have an easy start to life. There were some complications with the pregnancy, and his mom, Jasmine, had to be admitted to the hospital 10 days before he was born.

On April 5, 2020 he was born via C-section at 27 weeks old, about 12 weeks earlier than expected, and so had to be admitted into the NICU at McMaster Children’s Hospital.

Because he was born so early, his lungs weren’t developed. He had to be intubated and put on a ventilator to help him breathe. The first few weeks of his life was not easy. It was a daily fight for his life, battling through multiple infections, and he even faced a near-death situation. He had to overcome not just a life-altering digestive infection called NEC, but also sepsis and pneumonia. The pneumonia damaged his little lungs so much, causing it to collapse, that he had to be put in a medically induced coma while the NICU team treated him.

Eventually, with the help of the amazing NICU team, a few antibiotics, and the prayers of everyone that loves him, he was able to get over his pneumonia. But the damage was already done. The pneumonia caused his lungs to develop scar tissues, and his doctor predicted that it would take years for him to recover from it.

Our little warrior was eventually extubated and was put on a different breathing support called CPAP. Using a nasal prong or a little mask over his nose, CPAP allowed Joaquin to take his own breaths while receiving a mix of air pressure and oxygen flow to keep his lungs open. He was on this for months until his respiratory development stalled.

Following the advice of his doctor and the NICU team, our brother and sister-in-law decided that it would be best for Joaquin’s development to get a tracheostomy. A tracheostomy is a surgical procedure where a hole is cut through the front of the neck and into the windpipe to open a direct airway to the lungs. They decided to pursue this procedure so that Joaquin didn’t have to focus on learning to breathe, and instead allowing him to continue developing and reaching those baby milestones.

The first few weeks after the surgery were a little rough, as his recovery was slower than anticipated. However, since the end of the 2020, his health has really stabilized.

He is still on ventilator, but he is now breathing room air and doesn’t need extra oxygen. He has learned, among other things, how to pick things up with his hands, how to sit (he is now able to sit for 20 seconds without help), and is learning how to do tummy time, all while showing his trademark smile.

His doctors anticipate that he will be with a trach for 2-3 years, or until Joaquin's lungs heal and develop.

Now, they are getting close to coming home and we are asking for your help in helping my brother and sister-in-law with expenses they will have with their situation. The government covers them for some of trach equipment and vent supplies Joaquin will need while having a trach, but even then, they will still have out-of-pocket expenses of about $15,000 a year. And on top of that, Joaquin is also getting fed through his g-tube, a tube that is attached directly to his stomach, and this also has added costs. Joaquin will also require 24/7 care once he comes home. They will need a nurse to come in 40 hours a week to help care for him. 

This family has been through so much this past year, and we know a lot have been asking how they can help. There is no family more deserving of this. We want to make this transition for them as easy as possible. 

Thank you all in advance for taking the time to read this and for your continued support and prayers. Our family thanks you from the bottom of our hearts.