Our connection to Children’s began when I was pregnant with my daughter Aria. At the 20 week ultrasound, our lives changed when our doctor came back in and said “I just want you to know that people can live with one lung.” That day, we found out that Aria had a very large lung tumor called a CPAM. We were scared, confused, and had so many questions. Within a day, Children's Hospital had appointments scheduled to give us clarity and most importantly had us meet with a doctor to give us answers for what we could expect moving forward. We didn’t know if we would ever get to meet our little girl. Moving forward, I had appointments three times a week and had steroid treatments at key developmental moments to help shrink the tumor. Dr. Lillehei was kind, compassionate, and helped us to understand every step of the way. On February 22, 2021, we finally got to meet our little girl, Aria. When she was born, her tumor had shrunk significantly due to the care and treatment we received, and amazingly, Aria was able to breathe on her own.
We quickly realized that raising Aria would be different than how we raised her older sister Layla. A tumor that large had caused damage to her little body and as a result, Aria struggled with respiratory and feeding issues. Aria required a gastrointestinal tube for eating, and we were in constant fear of typical child illnesses such as a cold impacting her lung development. The whole world was experiencing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, but we worried every day about our family passing along an illness to Aria. Before her second birthday, she had over ten surgeries and procedures. At 18 months, Dr. Lillehei expertly removed the tumor from her lungs, and she graduated from the g-tube. Aria now has two fully functional lungs and can keep up with her big sister. We will continue to have challenges, but Aria's laughter, energetic spirit, and loving hugs are due to the incredible work the team at Children's Hospital does every day.
We spent many, many months at the hospital. In addition to the medical care provided, staff brought our family meal cards, crafts, and things to help Aria smile through her pain. These small, but meaningful gestures helped us continue to feel like a family and provided moments of joy while recovering from surgeries. I know that I can never repay the kindness we were shown, but my running for the Miracle for Miles team is a small way that I can help support these amazing people who are dedicated to helping others in need.
