When Josseline and Luis David found out they were expecting their first child, neighbors recommended they deliver at BMC. A year later, holding her son in her arms, Josseline is grateful she took their advice. “BMC really is the best place,” she says.
At 10 weeks pregnant, the couple learned their baby had gastroschisis, a rare condition where the intestines grow outside the body through a hole in the abdominal wall. “The news hit us really hard,” Josseline recalls. “No one thinks anything like this could happen to their child.”
But chief of pediatric surgery Dr. Christopher Muratore, assured them they were in good hands with BMC’s multidisciplinary fetal program, which brings together genetic counselors, maternal-fetal medicine doctors, pediatric surgeons and medicine specialists to coordinate delivery of complex pregnancies.
“We had confidence from the beginning,” says Josseline. “Dr. Muratore explained everything through a Spanish interpreter and used photos and images so we could understand. We always felt like we could ask questions.” She even had prenatal visits to the neonatal intensive care (NICU) so she would know what to expect from the nurses, lactation consultants and other experts who would be caring for her baby.
Throughout her pregnancy, Josseline would talk to her belly: “When you come out, you’re going to be in the hospital and Mamá will be here for you,” she’d say. “You’re strong and you’ll be okay.”
Ethan was born on Sept. 20, weighing 7 lbs. and with a full head of hair. When he was just 5 days old, Dr. Muratore performed surgery to tuck his tiny intestines into his abdomen and close the hole. Ethan stayed in the NICU for almost two months, and was released home on Nov. 15 – a day Josseline describes with emotion as “un gran día.”
Now 12 lbs., 4-month-old Ethan is smiling and eating and should continue to grow and develop normally. “I’ve never been happier to change so many diapers,” Josseline laughs. “I’m grateful every day that he came into our lives.” Her advice for any parent facing a complex pregnancy: “Trust in God and medicine, and remember that we transfer our feelings to our children so it’s important to stay calm and think positively.”