Respiratory difficulty was evident minutes after Alice was born in the local hospital on November 17,2018. A pediatric ambulance with a respiratory team was summoned from the nearest city. She was rushed to NICU where there was equipment to support her.  In less than 48 hours she was assessed, diagnosed, and operated on to correct her birth defect.  Alice was born with Esophageal Atresia Tracheoesophageal Fistula (EA/TEF).Her esophagus did not develop properly in utero.  There is no known cause for this. One in 4000 to 5000 babies are born with this condition.  Alice was on life support for the first five days of her life. She spent weeks in NICU following her corrective surgery to allow her little body to heal and gain strength.  Both her parents were with her during that time.

Alice has had a number of dilation surgeries to stretch her esophagus and will require more to stretch it to the desired 10mm.. These surgeries require travel and at least two nights away from home for her and her Mom.

Because her respiratory and digestive system are compromised by her EA/TEF condition at present, there are times Alice has had choking and difficulty breathing incidents.  These have been caused by her esophagus closing up before her scheduled surgery and  once by contracting viruses. When such incidents occur Alice is rushed to the local hospital where she is stabilized and prepared for transfer to the hospital equipped to care for such medical conditions.  These transfers have been both land and air ambulances.

All of Alice’s medical appointments require her to travel out of her community.
Alice thrives because she has a gastro tube (feeding tube directly into her stomach). Perhaps one day she will be a “ Tubie graduate “.

She is a content, active, happy bright baby when she is not suffering from a symptom of her condition.  She is a strong little warrior who has had some stumbling blocks to overcome in her path as she begins her life journey.  

Alice’s parents have incurred costs well beyond those one expects and plans for when a new baby arrives.  There have been many, many days and nights spent away from home to be with Alice. There will be many more costs as Alice continues to need medical support as she grows.

Many have asked how they can help Alice and her family as she continues on her journey. While there isn’t a lot physically required, any donation would be greatly appreciated to deal with the travel and medical costs that are being incurred.