Meet November's Legendairy Little, Ella

Each month we donate a portion of our proceeds to a child with medical needs through the Legendairy Littles program. During the month of November 2024, we will be featuring Ella.

At her 20-week anatomy scan, Ella was diagnosed with a left sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). CDH is when the diaphragm does not fully develop and allows the abdominal organs to travel into the chest cavity and crowd the lungs. In most cases, this crowding restricts the lungs so they are not able to develop. Ella’s parents were told the survival rate at their hospital was around 60% for this condition and would require a 6-9 month stay in the NICU. Because of the severity of her CDH, the doctors were very clear that they did not feel Ella had a good chance of survival. The uncertainty did not sit well with her family, so Ella’s family relocated near another hospital that gave Ella a 90% chance of survival and an average of a 5-6 week inpatient stay. Scans at 34 weeks gestation showed Ella had 35% of her liver located up within her lung cavity causing her lung volume to be at about 21% of a healthy baby. These problems caused her heart to push all of the way to the right side of her chest and her left lung to be so small that it was unmeasurable.

At birth, Ella was immediately intubated and went through repair surgery at only 5 days old. Ella proved what a fighter she is by not needing ECMO. Her family remained close by her side until they could hold her at 22 days old. Even though her first team of doctors projected she would be in the NICU for 6+ months if she survived, Ella was able to be discharged after 58 days! She has remained on oxygen since being discharged because of her small lungs.

Ella turned 6 months old in October. Although Ella’s family is finding their new normal, the scar across her belly is a constant reminder of everything she has been through as well as the challenges ahead of her. She has regular doctor appointments 3.5 hours away from her home and annually across the country. Even with all of her challenges, Ella is the happiest baby!! She loves to look at books and watch Bluey and Blippi with her older brother. She looks forward to putting on her pajamas at the end of a long day and calms down as soon as her sleeper is zipped up.

During the month of November, Legendairy Milk will be making a donation to Ella's family to help with her ongoing medical expenses.