Magnolia Faith

Magnolia’s Story...

In December 2018, Christian and Alex were thrilled to learn that they were pregnant with their second child, who they would later learn was a girl, Magnolia Faith. At their 13 week ultrasound, however, they learned that Magnolia had an omphalocele, which is an abdominal wall defect in which abdominal organs form outside of the abdomen in a sac. At 22 weeks, they learned that she also had a congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), in which the diaphragm fails to form properly, and organs migrate into the chest. This condition consistently results in critically small lungs and leads to fatality if left untreated.


These two conditions together made Magnolia's case particularly complicated. The pediatric surgeon Christian and Alex met with suggested that they consider a temporary relocation to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, where Dr. David Kays has created a CDH program, and is the home to an entire CDH unit. 


Nationally, the survival rate for CDH is 50%, and with other complications like an omphalocele, this number can be even lower.  John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital boasts a 90% survival rate! While relocation seemed daunting and in some ways impossible, Christian and Alex decided to pursue this option in order to give Magnolia the best opportunity for life. 


We want to help make this relocation possible for the Markles, and specifically for Christian to be able to be with Alex, Simon and Magnolia while she receives treatment in Florida. Christian will be taking 12 weeks of unpaid leave, and Alex will also be taking time off of work. Magnolia's length of treatment could vary, but at this point, they are planning on arriving in Florida one month before her due date, and staying 3 months for her recovery. Magnolia is due July 17, 2019.


Funds raised here will go toward their medical insurance deductible, helping them pay their normal bills while they are out of work, and travel expenses to and from Florida. 


Most importantly, they ask for your prayers. They will be updating their blog frequently once she is born and will continue to keep us aware of prayer requests and needs on Magnolia's behalf: https://alexmarkle.tumblr.com/ 

If you would like to learn more about CDH and the program at JHACH please view the following video. Thank you for your support of the Markle family! 

https://youtu.be/BCKplfHIbVI