Our Baby Was Born With Esophageal Atresia — Help Our Family Stay Together
Our baby was born with esophageal atresia, a rare congenital condition in which the esophagus does not develop normally.
Shortly after birth, our baby underwent several surgeries in an attempt to connect the esophagus. Unfortunately, it was not possible to complete the repair at that time.
After one of the surgeries, the connection developed a leak. This caused severe inflammation and contamination of the mediastinum, affecting the lung and leading to a life-threatening collapse and pneumothorax.
Eventually, the doctors had to create an esophagostomy and a gastrostomy to allow our baby to recover and receive nutrition safely.
After many weeks of recovery, our baby was finally discharged from the hospital. For about a month and a half, we were able to be together at home as a family.
Then worrying symptoms began to appear.
At the beginning of May, our baby was admitted to hospital and soon required intensive care because of severe aspiration pneumonia.
For almost a month in the intensive care unit, we travelled approximately 100 km (62 miles) every day to be with our child.
After about a month in intensive care, our baby was transferred to a gastroenterology ward, where our baby remains today and still requires a small amount of oxygen support.
During this hospitalization, doctors also noticed several physical features that may indicate an underlying genetic condition. They suspect CHARGE syndrome, but this has not yet been confirmed.
To investigate this possibility, we had to arrange extensive genetic testing privately, at a cost of approximately 8,000 PLN. We expect to receive the results in early November 2026.
But our journey is far from over.
Once our baby is strong enough, the definitive esophageal surgery will take place at a hospital more than 240 km (150 miles) from our home.
The recovery after this surgery, including the gradual process of establishing feeding, is expected to take considerable time. The months following the operation will also involve repeated appointments with different specialists at the same hospital.
We want to stay together as a family.
We have three children.
Travelling more than 240 km each way every day would be exhausting and, in practice, impossible. At the same time, a prolonged separation of a mother from her other two children would be extremely difficult for our entire family.
The most realistic solution will be to rent a place to stay within a reasonable distance of the hospital, so that we can remain together while our baby undergoes treatment and recovery.
With three children, this will not be easy — and it will not be inexpensive.
We know that many families are facing difficult situations, and we are not asking for a huge amount.
We are simply asking for help with some of the costs we have already faced and the expenses we know are coming.
The funds raised will help us with:
- accommodation near the hospital,
- travel to and from medical appointments,
- costs related to our baby's long-term treatment and recovery,
- and some of the expenses we have already had to cover during this long hospitalization.
Every contribution, no matter how small, can make a real difference to our family.
Even $5 can help.
And if you cannot donate, sharing our story is just as valuable to us. Reaching someone who is able to help may mean more to our family than we can express.
We simply want to be together, support our baby through the next stage of treatment, and give our other two children the presence of both parents during this difficult time.
Medical documentation
We understand that we are asking people who do not know us personally to trust our story. For this reason, we have included redacted medical documentation confirming our baby's diagnosis and the major medical procedures described above.
All personally identifying information has been removed to protect our child's privacy.
Thank you for taking the time to read our story, and thank you for any help you can give.
With gratitude,
our family ❤️
