As first-time expecting parents, Brittney and Eric knew before their son was born that he would likely need surgery almost immediately after birth. The fetal care team at the Richard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment (CFDT) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) diagnosed their growing baby with a ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction of the left kidney, a blockage that causes fluid to back up into the kidney and can make eating difficult.

While Brittney would be delivering at Penn Medicine due to a prior condition, she and her husband were closely coordinating with the CHOP team to discuss delivery, transfer and the operation that was to follow. They had a plan.  

A birthday, a new diagnosis, an emergency surgery

On July 1, 2025, their son Hayes was born. That’s when the plan changed — quickly. Delirious from a 60-hour labor that ended in an unexpected C-section, Brittney wondered why she wasn’t yet holding her newborn son.

Hayes was having trouble breathing. He was immediately transferred to CHOP and placed in the care of the Esophageal and Airway Treatment (EAT) Program team, led by Thomas E. Hamilton, MD. That's when Hayes was given an additional diagnosis: a tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF), which is an abnormal connection between the food pipe (esophagus) and the windpipe (trachea) that can threaten a baby’s ability to breathe.  
 
Taking swift action, the EAT Program team had Hayes prepped for surgery within hours. The operation to repair the connection between his windpipe and food pipe was successful, and the recovery period was underway. After a month of treatment and healing in the hospital, Hayes was finally able to go home with his parents for the first time.

Support in a moment of panic

As weeks went by, Brittney and Eric were busy learning their new roles as parents, but they weren’t doing it alone. The EAT Program’s primary coordinator, Kathryn Johanson, MSN, CPNP-AC, RN, was regularly following up to ensure Brittney and Eric had the support they needed.

“She’d been checking in with us every single day that we were in the hospital and now she was making an extra effort to reach out after we had left, to make sure Hayes was doing well, which made me feel supported at home,” said Brittney.

Then, one morning while Brittney was feeding Hayes, something happened she’ll never forget. He stopped breathing.

With CHOP’s King of Prussia Campus nearby, Brittney rushed to get Hayes immediate care at the Emergency Department. Despite how terrified she was, Brittney remembers how supported she felt in that moment. As they were arriving at the King of Prussia campus, the CHOP care teams in Philadelphia were coordinating with them every step of the way — checking in frequently and making urgent plans to get Hayes transferred to the Philadelphia hospital, where the EAT Program team would continue treatment.

“I felt so seen in that moment. It was reassuring to not feel alone, that someone was following what was happening,” said Brittney. “And I just felt like we were going to be OK because everyone on his care team was aware of what was going on. I didn’t have to provide updates on Hayes, they already knew.”

Another diagnosis 

Once transferred to CHOP’s Philadelphia campus, Hayes was officially diagnosed with tracheomalacia, which meant his windpipe was unstable, making it difficult for him to breathe normally.  

CHOP is one of the few hospitals in the country that offers surgical intervention for tracheomalacia. Supported by multidisciplinary expertise, the EAT Program has developed a systematic approach to diagnosis and a rigorous treatment protocol that’s tailored to meet patient needs. 

“It was one of the most severe cases they’d seen. His trachea was collapsing with every breath he took,” said Brittney. “But what was most reassuring to me, no matter the diagnosis, was that we were in the best hands possible. They never sent us home until they were confident that Hayes was safe and we had the support we needed.” 

When it was eventually safe for Hayes to return home with his parents, they were given guidance on symptoms to monitor and time to consider a surgery that was becoming evidently more necessary. 

Another scare

After a few weeks at home, another terrifying moment stopped everything. Hayes wasn’t breathing again — he was turning blue. Rushed back into the hands of the EAT Program team, Hayes was urgently scheduled to undergo a tracheopexy, a surgical procedure to open and support his airway. For Hayes, it meant entering through his chest and neck.

The several-hours-long surgery performed by Duy T. Dao, MD, MPH and Dr. Hamilton required moving Hayes’ esophagus from the left side of his trachea to the right and securing his trachea to his spine for support.

Following a successful surgery, Brittney recalls that almost immediately Hayes was a completely different child. She and Eric marveled as his personality blossomed and his curiosity came alive. “In his first few months of life, he was just so focused on breathing and getting his next breath. After the surgery, it was coming so easy, he didn’t have to think about it anymore.”

Gratitude for CHOP

Looking back, Brittney still finds it difficult to fully express her gratitude for the care provided by CHOP’s EAT Program team. “I don’t know that there are words to describe how incredible that team is,” she said. “I just feel so grateful they are who they are. Not only are they excellent doctors, but they're excellent people. I’ve never known doctors who have shown up with that much compassion, care and dedication.”

With a care team that continues to support him, and parents who are just happy to watch him grow, Hayes is now a healthy baby. He’s breathing normally, eating well and always quick to smile.

Even the initial concern with Hayes’ left kidney that was discovered in utero has resolved itself. Living with one healthy kidney, he no longer needs the surgery they had prepared for at his birth.

“I want other patient families to know that the CHOP team is here to advocate for you. They really do have your child’s best interests at heart,” said Brittney. “And despite everything that Hayes has been through — all these obstacles — he is still just the happiest. It’s a miracle he’s as happy as he is.”