Featured CDH International’s Kansas Ambassador is Diane Punch. Diane is the mom to CDH survivor Jacob.
Diane Punch is a native Kansan-born in western Kansas but has lived in Overland Park most of her life. She and her husband of nearly 33 years have four children-two daughters, one son and one son-in-law.
Professionally, Diane works full-time as Manager, Proposals at Netsmart. She also works part-time in children’s ministry at her church and teaches piano. In her “spare” time, she loves spending time with family and friends and meeting new people.
CDH hit home for the Punches in 2002 with the birth of their son. He was born with a previously undetected large left CDH. He spent most of his first five months in the NICU. After his synthetic patch failed, his surgeon created a “diaphragm” with a reversed latissimus dorsi flap for his nearly absent left diaphragm. After various hurdles in his early years, he’s a thriving 18 year old and will graduate from high school in May 2020.
Diane’s passion for meeting and connecting with people in meaningful ways is why she’s a CDH Ambassador. She believes that while each CDH journey is different, we’re drawn together as a community because of those journeys.
