Rutheford, Madeline Jo

My name is Pam Rutheford, and my daughter Madeline is 6 months old. She was born on January 1, 2002, 4 days late but she had a normal weight. She was the first baby of 2002 in Indianapolis. An hour and a half later, she was diagnosed with CDH. The doctors told us that she would be transported to Riley Hospital for Children shortly after she was born. She was put on a ventilator before she was transported. I got to hold her for a minute when she was first born, but not again until she was two and a half weeks old.

She had her surgery at seven days old. The doctors said that it was a good sign that she did not go on ECMO. She went to the infant ICU when she was three weeks old, but she only had to stay there for a few days. She got to come home when she was 23 days old. She came home with a NG-tube and oxygen. We didn't care, though, as long as we had her with us. I still remember the first thing that the surgeon said to me -- it was that she had about a 50%-60% chance of making it through the surgery. I think that was the scariest moment in my life.

The doctors did not find the hernia when I was pregnant with her, so when she was born, we thought she looked healthy and happy. But when they tell you that something is wrong and that the baby won’t come home with you when you get released, then your whole perspective changes. She is a miracle in all of our lives. She has been through so much and is very loved by everyone that is around us and some people that we don’t even know. Her condition got a lot of publicity because of her being the first baby of the year and being on the news. Just to see her smile and see her starting to crawl is the happiest time for all of us. She has a brother that is three years old, and he is always helping with her and getting her toys and stuff. He shows how much he loves her every day. It was very different having him come home with us and her not. When you come home and see a crib that is suppose to have a baby in it and it doesn’t, it makes you want to cry every time you see it empty and not knowing when it will be full with the cries and laughs of a child. She is our little angel.


Written by Madeline's mom, Pam Rutheford (Indiana)
2003