Meet Brynley
BRYNLEY'S STORY
To say Brynley, our 5th child, kept things interesting and at times stressful defines understatement. To begin, I was sent to a high-risk pregnancy practice due to the fact I would be turning the ripe old age of 35 during my pregnancy…age is just a number anyway, right? During our first high risk appointment, we underwent noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and unfortunately received a call seven days later informing us our daughter was at risk for Turner Syndrome. No doubt a shock to us, but certainly not a sure thing and we subsequently began researching Turner’s as we prepared for a follow up anatomy scan.
That anatomy scan became a striking example of the ebb and flow, peaks and valleys that the typical CDH journey becomes – we were informed that she was cleared of Turner Syndrome, but they instead noticed her stomach was in her chest and just a few days later we were introduced to Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. For three months thereafter I was monitored, scanned, poked and prodded as our care team prepped for her arrival which came on April 3rd.
We only saw our beautiful girl very briefly before she whisked away, intubated and taken to the NICU – but it was enough to know we had a fighter on our hands – so much so her care team later told us they had to sedate her a bit to let her ventilator give her lungs a break! Her repair surgery was performed three days later on April 6th, during which doctors were surprised and ecstatic to find that a sac had formed around her stomach, spleen, and colon, keeping those organs together and not all the way into her chest, allowing her lungs and heart to develop much better than they’d anticipated. Her diaphragm was stitched up without the assistance of a patch and we anxiously awaited the chance to hold our sweet girl.
On Monday, April 8th I arrived to her bedside as her providers were discussing extubating Brynley – they said she was ready to give it a try on her own and just one day later I was finally able to hold my Brynley on April 9th – six days that seemed like years! Over the next few weeks there were concerns with her digestion, feedings, and pain tolerance, but at every turn she accepted the challenge at hand and let us know she was ready to meet her brothers and sisters.
On Thursday April 18th we were discharged with no restrictions and our family was whole once again. We know that Brynley’s case is unique and certainly not what most CDH families experience and for that we are so thankful, blessed, and humble. We love our sweet girl and are so proud of what she’s gone on to accomplish in the months since discharge – rolling over at three months, crawling at six, and taking her first steps at nine. She remains closely watched by her care team and we remain vigilant and always hopeful, but are so thankful for the love and support we received from Fore Hadley and the greater CDH community!
- As told by Ashley Beffert aka Mom
About the Fore Hadley Angels in the NICU Fund
Support and proceeds for the Fore Hadley Angels in the NICU Fund will go towards assisting current and future families like Landen’s, by providing financial contributions to assist families with the costs associated with extended, long distance travel and living arrangements. Costs that are often a must to ensure the proper specialty care for CDH babies.