Today’s featured cherub is Jacob David Ryan. Jacob is the son to our Ireland Ambassador Edwina Duffy. Here is what Edwina had to share about her son. “When I was 21 weeks pregnant we were told at first Jacob had a condition called dextro cardio. Further scans a week later revealed that it was actually CDH. I wasn’t sure which was worse. I felt broke, left searching for answers. I wanted to know everything. The not knowing, the what if became a huge fear and a big depression.
For Jacob’s arrival everything was planned to a tee. Jacob was born he came out screaming and fighting when we were told he may not cry at all. We had an express baptism before he was transferred straight to crumlin in a highly equipped baby ambulance after a few short hours after he was stabilized on morphine.
He had surgery at two days old. His repair was a stitch up with his own muscles, as he didn’t need a patch and was out of ICU within five days. We got home when he was two weeks old not on any meditation or needing any tubes.
However four days later I presented back to the emergency department, Jacob had contracted the RSV virus and we were admitted again. Whilst back in routine tests were conducted. During an echo it was picked up that Jacob also had an ASD heart defect also confirmed by a bubble study. My world crashing around me again.
Fast forward fourteen months, we are monitored by the cardiologists and pediatricians. We are currently awaiting open heart surgery for Jacob. Jacob is a strong, independent, funny, amazing little boy who shows me each day how precious life is. He is the gift of hope, happiness and life itself. He is my little CDH fighter and survivor. We were one of the extremely lucky cases of CDH but we still have obstacles to overcome. He isn’t willing to stop fighting and neither am I, with hoping to raise awareness along the way, as best we can. This is our journey so far.”
