Ladybug Run for CDH Awareness

happens in one in about every 2,500 births - roughly 1,600 cases in the U.S. each year) which means the diaphragm did not close entirely when it was supposed to and some of the lower organs (in our case; stomach, intestines, and spleen) were up where they shouldn't be. As a result, the lungs wouldn't grow to normal size and Finley was at risk for a laundry list of complications that ended with the statement that she had about a 40-50% chance of survival. It took 19 days to stabilize her for repair surgery and after another 30 days more in the NICU, she was finally able to come home. But then there are about 800 babies in the US who die each year from this defect. Because this birth defect is rare and not commonly known, it does not have the funding that other more widely known birth defects attract. All money raised by this race will go toward to the Ladybug CDH Foundation which will give funds to both on-going research and to assist families with a child with CDH in the hospital. Hospital expenses average from $500,000 - $1M+ which means families can be bankrupted by CDH. Some families travel thousands of miles to deliver at a hospital such as Randall Children's Hospital at Legacy Emanuel which is equipped to care for a CDH baby. This means incurring additional expenses of travel, housing, and food. Then, imagine having those expenses and also having to cover a funeral? Or for those fortunate children who do come home, costs include at-home nursing, oxygen support, feeding tubes, and numerous medicines. The Ladybug Run will help these families. Please join us in walking or running in celebration of the survivors, in memory of the angels, and in support of those expecting...

Why Is This Race Called Ladybug Run? At the Randall Emanuel Children's Hospital (the old building) the section of the NICU where the sickest babies who needed ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) were kept was called Ladybug. The isolette in Ladybug 3 is where Finley spent her first 19 days of life.