The Walker Family

Scroll down to see updates as the Walker family progresses in their CDH Journey! (All updates are written and given by parents with consent)

Initial Backstory

We found out about our daughter’s CDH diagnosis at our 20-week anatomy scan in November 2024 — and in that moment, our world completely stopped. We were absolutely devastated, yet held onto hope that our Lord would carry us through this storm.

At our second MFM appointment, we learned that I also had a short cervix, which meant modified bed rest and a surgery at 23 weeks pregnant. Our plan had always been to deliver in Florida and begin care there around 33 weeks, but God had other plans. Because of my short cervix and polyhydramnios, I went into labor early — and our daughter made her entrance into the world 11 weeks early, on January 28th.

We spent the next seven months in the NICU at CHOC Children’s Hospital in California, walking through some of the hardest days of our lives. Drew went through two failed repairs and a G-tube surgery. When she reherniated for the second time, we knew we needed to get to Florida to see Dr. Kays.

On September 4th, we were flown to Florida on a medical flight, and Drew had her third repair on September 17th. She’s been recovering since, and while things are moving in the right direction, we still don’t have a discharge date in sight. We’re praying to be home by Thanksgiving — to finally reunite as a family and bring our girl home where she belongs.

This journey has been unimaginably hard, especially on our 3-year-old, who misses home so much. But even through the pain, fear, and waiting, we’ve seen God’s faithfulness over and over again. And we know He’s not done yet.

Update 10/31/2025

Our girl is getting stronger by the day & we are working on making sure she gains weight & working on weaning her oxygen settings.