In 2018, our youngest son, Spencer, was born with imperforate anus, an anorectal malformation. In short, Spencer was born without an anus. At 48 hours old he had surgery to place a colostomy, at 2.5 months he had pull-through surgery to correct the malformation and give him an anal opening, and at 4 months old he had surgery to reconnect the colostomy. Although the surgery phase of his treatment is over (we hope!), Spencer has colon and intestinal issues that he will deal with his whole life. The International Center for Colorectal and Urogenital Care at Children's Hospital is right there with us, helping to manage his condition for the long haul.
Through all of this, we have come to realize just how incredibly fortunate we are to have Children's Hospital so close. They are at the cutting edge of new research and pediatric care because of the support of the community and donors. We've met so many parents of children with the same health issues as Spencer (often more serious) who travel from across the country because adequate care for their child isn't available near them. Because of the expertise we found at Children's we are confident in our son's repair and we have the support we need to take on the challenges we face going forward. We want all children who need this specialized care to have access to it, because no child should suffer unnecessarily because the right kind of care isn't nearby.
Please join us in supporting a phenomenal cause to help children everywhere get the best care possible!