Let's Start at the Very Beginning...

On September 15th, Katy and Andy found out that Baby Jacob has a life-threatening condition called Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH). CDH is a very serious condition in which a hole in the diaphragm allows abdominal organs to move into the chest restricting lung development. In Jacob's case, his liver is also squishing his heart and displacing other organs. CDH occurs in about 1 out of every 3,000 pregnancies and has a mortality rate of 50%. To make matters more complicated, Jacob has Right-Sided CDH which only occurs in about 10% of CDH cases and is typically more severe. They are so blessed to have found this out when they did, or Baby Jacob would have surely died at birth.

They will be delivering at UW Hospital in Seattle and later transferred to Seattle Children’s. Thank you to everyone who has already begun praying, and everyone who will now. Baby Jacob is blessed to have all of you thinking and praying for him.

Getting Acquainted

Update from Andy....
Sept 22, 2011 -Yesterday we spent 5 hours with the team of doctors at UW. Katy had another ultrasound confirming that Jacob's CDH is on the right side. This only occurs in about 10% of CDH cases and can be more critical than left-sided CDH. It was a little nerve wracking when a team of 3 radiologists were brought in to look more closely. One piece of good news-We were able to see the left lung elongated today, but the right one was virtually nonexistent because it was being squished by the liver. It appears that Jacob's organs are able to shift in and out of his chest cavity which is a good thing if it has allowed his lungs to elongate to grow and mature at times. This is our hope. 
We had a lot of our questions answered and mapped out the first stages of a birth plan. If all goes well and Katy can remain pregnant, Jacob will be delivered around October 28th or so. Jacob's prognosis really won't be able to be determined until he is born since every case of CDH is different and every baby's body manages the related effects differently. We just have to hope and continue to pray for the best.
Thank you, everyone, for your continued prayers and support!
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1 comment:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 23, 2011 at 10:17 AM

    Hello Rondeau Family,

    I am sorry that you have to go down this path. It is a scary path - but as someone who has come out the other side, let me tell you..though it wasn't a journey I would wish on anyone - God revealed himself to us in wonderous ways. I have learned about praying boldly and specifically... I have learned more about trusting God and faith and HOPE. The enemy will want to rob you of your hope and lead you into dark places and thoughts. I will be praying for your family and that God will help Jacob's lungs grow large enough to sustain him, that he will not need ECMO, for wisdom for all the medical providers- for a peace that transcends all understanding to fill Katy and her husband. I know several CDH Survivor mamas in the Seattle area (and one whose baby was cared for at Children's) if you want to get connected.

    2Cor 12:9

    Love,
    Liz Dooley
    Portland, Oregon
    www.finleyanabelle.wordpress.com

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