If you’re reading this, you probably know we are expecting our second son in July. We’ve given him the name Milo Bradner Kunkel!
During the 20-week anatomy scan we found out that Milo actually has a condition called a congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH is detected in roughly 1 in 2,500 babies) as well as bilateral clubbed feet (slightly more common but the combination of the two is rare and seemingly unrelated). If you’re unfamiliar with CDH, it essentially means a hole has developed in Milo’s diaphragm which has allowed organs from his abdominal cavity to migrate up into his chest, inhibiting his lung development. Our doctors have classified Milo’s case as a severe one but nonetheless expect everything to be repairable and recoverable. Unfortunately, we know he will require surgery once he is born and quite a bit of extra care so we are preparing for an extended stay in the NICU. For this reason, we have been in the process of transferring all of our care from Kalamazoo to Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago (connected to Northwestern’s Hospital downtown), where we are working with a phenomenal team of specialists and surgeons with a great track record of treating babies diagnosed with CDH.
As of early June, we have temporarily relocated to Chicago in preparation for an increased frequency of appointments and ultimately, Milo's arrival.
Without question this will be a unique and special journey but we have no doubt we’ll get through this and be a stronger family as a result, thanks to all of our amazing friends, family, and incredible support systems in our lives. Prayers and good vibes for Milo will go a long way so if you could keep him in your thoughts, we would greatly appreciate it! We are doing our best to stay positive, optimistic, and grateful, so you should too! There’s been no shortage of reminders lately just how incredibly lucky we are.
We hope this website will help us share his story as well as keep all of our loved ones updated on the status of Milo and his recovery.
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