LEIGHTON STRONG - CDH AWARENESS

Hi, my name is Jim Welch and I am fundraising for my daughter Kelsey Welch and Nick McDaniel who have a baby named Leighton on the way. So far during the pregnancy Leighton has developed a Right - Sided Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. Her liver and bowel are in her chest cavity preventing her lungs from developing and shifting her heart laterally. Her lungs are less than 1/4 the size they should be currently being 25-26 weeks along.

Potential treatment options are a fetal surgery to place a balloon in her trachea to trap all of the fluid that the lungs produce. This fluid build up would hopefully help her lungs expand and push the liver and bowel out of the way a bit until they are able to deliver her.

After Leighton is delivered via c-section they will remove the balloon and palce her on ECMO to oxegenate her blood via transfusion and feeds it back to her lungs take a break and develop further. Leighton will need numerous surgeries to move her bowel and liver back down and close the hole that is in her diaphram. She will be intubated and on oxygen for a long time after she is born and will be fed throught feeding tubes.

Even after Leighton months long stay in the hospital she will still require round the clock care, feeding tubes and oxygen when she is sent home.

All of this will be needing to take place at the University of Michigan Mott Childrens hospital which is 3 hours away from Kelsey and Nicks home. Once the first procedure is done Kelsey must be within 30 minutes of the hospital at all times until Leighton is born and will be needing to stay close by the hospital after she is born.

This for this young couple is going to have a great medical cost to them for Leighton needs as well as their own time off of work, travel and and housing expenses. They are exploring all the options including Ronald McDonald house which is already completely full in the Ann Arbor area.

This fund is being set up for people to help Kelsey and Nick for any expenses they do get for Leightons care to help them bring this beautiful child into the world and give her the best chance possible to survive. There are many success stories out there of children being born with CDH issues and with prayer and everyones help we are hoping Leighton can be another one of those stories.

We thank you in advance for any and all the help you can provide monitarily or via prayer and support.