Ester and Samuel welcomed their first child, Rebecca, in 2022. She was born healthy after Ester had her cervix temporarily stitched closed (cervical cerclage) to prevent premature birth. Just a year later, the couple was expecting their second child and once again required a cervical cerclage. On Rebecca’s first birthday, the couple was excited for their appointment to find out the gender of baby number two. They were having a boy! Their excitement quickly turned grim when it was also revealed that he had spina bifida/MMC (myelomeningocele, the most common and most severe form.) The news was shocking and scary, especially for Ester whose younger brother was born with spina bifida and spent his life in a wheelchair.
Because Ester was considered extremely high risk due to her previous cervical issues, many fetal care centers would not consider taking on her case. However, help was found across the country: Dr. Timothy Crombleholme at the Fetal Care Center at Connecticut Children’s agreed to take her as a patient and perform fetal surgery to repair the baby’s spinal defect. The couple would have to travel from Oregon to Connecticut and stay there after the surgery until delivery to monitor for complications.
On Monday, June 26, 2023, Ester became the first patient at Connecticut Children’s to undergo an open fetal surgery. After experiencing some complications and four weeks of bed rest to prevent early delivery, Thaddeus was born at 32 weeks and 2 days, gestational age. Following months of NICU care, Thaddeus and family were able to return home to Oregon.
Watch the video here. Dr. Crombleholme tells us the importance of fetal care
