Kyrian, You Make Me Better

We tried for six years to get pregnant. On May 28, 2022, we underwent an IUI procedure—just ten days after my 29-year-old sister-in-law passed away from cancer. We were overjoyed to receive a positive pregnancy test soon after.

At 14 weeks, we received Kyrian’s prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis, and at 20 weeks, we learned about his moderate ventricular septal defect (VSD). Between the two, I was honestly more scared of the VSD than the Down syndrome diagnosis.

Our sweet boy was born at 34 weeks and 4 days via emergency C-section after decreased fetal movement and 24 hours of monitoring due to his heart rate dropping. He spent 156 days in the hospital—87 in the NICU and 69 on the pulmonary floor due to weak lungs and high CO2 levels.

When he was just two days old, I noticed his eyes looked yellow, and we discovered he had a liver shunt. At six weeks, he underwent open-heart surgery to repair his VSD and a small atrial septal defect (ASD) that was discovered post-birth during an echocardiogram. Thankfully, the surgery also corrected the liver shunt.

At five months and one week, Kyrian came home! He was on oxygen while sleeping and required 20 hours of continuous J-tube feeding.

At his one-year echocardiogram, we received incredible news: his heart looked great, and the cardiologist didn’t need to see him again for a whole year! Now, Kyrian is a happy boy with a big personality shining through. As of March 2024, he’s been off oxygen entirely. He’s my brave Jedi, and I love everything about being his momma!

Kyrian, you make me better. You have shown me the beauty of strength, patience, and unconditional love. You’ve taught me to celebrate every milestone, no matter how small, and to find joy in life’s simplest moments. Because of you, I’m stronger, more compassionate, and endlessly inspired to be the best version of myself.

Kayla, Kyrian’s Mom (Washington)