Meet Mateo

MATEO’S STORY

They say home is where the heart is, and for Mateo Guibert’s family, that means they’re re-defining “home” in several spaces right now.  Mateo’s mom and dad hail from Pembroke Pines, FL but have been traveling frequently back and forth to the Tampa area since Mateo’s birth on November 22, 2017. The Bayfront hospital has become a second home, as hospitals do for many CDH impacted families. 

The family is making an official move to Lake Mary, FL soon.  Mateo’s mom Stefanie tells us that everyone is looking forward to get settled in their new home – including herself, Mateo’s dad, his big brother Cai, and even Mateo’s grandparents. It’s a blessing that Mateo’s dad Mao was able to transfer to Lake Mary for work, cutting the drive time to Dr. Kays in Tampa in half.  Not only will this move to a new home will be helpful to the family for financial reasons, but apparently Mateo has a strong preference for being home over being in his car seat – and we can’t blame him for that!

As of January 2018, Mateo is recovering from his December surgery nicely.  His dad took unpaid leave from work to make sure that he stayed nearby to give Mateo that sense of home during his time in the NICU.  Mateo’s not out of the woods yet, as he’s undergoing additional testing right now due to high levels of carnitine in his liver.  Through these continued ups and downs, Mateo is blessed to have a family that stays flexible and strong, finding love and hope wherever they find each other. And Fore Hadley is honored to be supporting Mateo’s family along the way!

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 Yonatan’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.