Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment Patient Stories

Meet Trey and Emmett: They’re both from Ohio, they both have spina bifida, and they both had fetal surgery at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Diagnosed before birth with the most severe form of spina bifida, Kaitlyn underwent surgery while she was still in the womb. Now 5, she is happy and healthy.

Chance had fetal surgery to treat a lower urinary tract obstruction. The happy baby returns to CHOP from his home in Brooklyn for urology and nephrology care.

Elijah needed a lifesaving surgery while he was still in his mother’s womb. Today, he's an active 6-year-old who loves basketball and T-ball, goes swimming, rides his bike, and rock climbs.

Jayant’s family traveled from Florida to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to seek the most experienced team for prenatal repair of spina bifida.

When doctors found bleeding on her unborn son’s brain, Sandrine turned to pediatric neurologists and fetal medicine experts at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Six years after prenatal repair of spina bifida, Will walks, runs and jumps, and continues to amaze his parents with all he can do.

Kathleen’s decision to travel from Florida to deliver her son in Philadelphia turned out to be a lifesaver when the cysts inside his CCAM ruptured at birth.

Diagnosed with a lymphatic leak before he was born, Austin is thriving today thanks to innovative treatment at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Born with CDH, Gage made a full recovery after surgery at CHOP. To help others, his family is participating in research about long-term outcomes for CDH.