Rory’s Story

April is Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) Awareness Month, observed to raise awareness and encourage the detection and treatment of CDH in infants.

Read about Rory’s difficult journey with CDH and how The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio helped him overcome:

On August 27, 2015 in Harlingen, Texas, Isabel and Alfonso De La Cruz welcomed their son, Rory, into the world. After a normal pregnancy and healthy prenatal test results, Isabel and Alfonso expected Rory to be a happy, healthy newborn. However, when Rory was born, the doctors noticed that he was not breathing correctly and immediately took him to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to be monitored.

“After an hour of waiting, we found out that our son was born with a Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia, a condition in which a hole in the diaphragm allows abdominal organs to move into the chest and prevents the lungs from developing properly,” Isabel said. “I was afraid and knew our lives were about to change forever, but I also knew that I needed to be strong for my son and my husband.”

Rory was relying on a high frequency oscillator to breathe and was given a 50% chance of survival. His condition began to worsen and his doctors suggested that he be transferred to another hospital where he could be placed on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), a treatment that uses a pump to circulate blood through an artificial lung back into the bloodstream.

“We were given three hospital choices for the transfer, and we knew right away that we wanted our son to go to The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio,” Isabel said. “When The Children’s Hospital’s transfer team arrived, we immediately felt at peace. The team of nurses reassured us and prepared Rory for his transfer, making sure he was comfortable.”

Dr. Cody Henderson, neonatal ECMO director at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, met with Isabel and Alfonso to explain the details of Rory’s condition and to assure them that their baby would be well taken care of. After being on ECMO watch for a few days, Rory was ready for surgery. Dr. John Doski, pediatric surgeon at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio and Dr. Barry Cofer, surgeon-in-chief, worked together to successfully perform the CDH repair.

Rory’s recovery period was long and difficult, but at 15 days old, Isabel and Alfonso were finally able to hold their son for the first time.

After two months, Rory was strong enough to go home. While Rory still visits The Children’s Hospital  once every three months for check-ups, he is now a happy, healthy 7- month-old.

“We are so grateful for all of the doctors, surgeons, and nurses who helped save our baby’s life,” Isabel added. “We know we made the right decision in choosing The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio.”

To learn about how you can support The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, visit ChildrensHospitalSAFoundation.org.