About

Charlie, aka "Mr. Strong," was born full-term at 39 weeks on December 3rd, 2019.  Within the first few seconds out of the womb, it was clear that he was struggling to breath, so he was put on a ventilator. Shortly after, he was diagnosed with Choanal atresia, a blockage of the nasal airway. After landing at Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago to undergo routine surgery, Charlie's systems began to crash.  His care team spent the greater part of December preforming a series of lifesaving procedures to get him stabilized enough to have more surgery to open his airway.  Since then, he has undergone four surgeries to open his airway and place a feeding tube in his stomach. He has been diagnosed with hearing loss in both ears, so he has to wear hearing aids. He was also diagnosed with a very rare condition called "Kabuki Syndrome," which explains much of his endocrine, low heart rate, failure to thrive, failure to swallow, and many more problems. Charlie is now 6 months old and lives at home with medical assistance.