Saving Trace's Heart

Trace weighed less than a pound when he was born at just 22 weeks of gestation. After a month in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the local hospital where he was born, he transferred to Children's National Hospital. He soon underwent delicate lifesaving surgery to close a hole in his tiny heart.

"I was so scared and refused to leave," says his mom, Aryn. "But his team in the NICU at Children's National was so comforting and caring. They answered all my questions. They explained things."

After recovery from surgery, Trace had other complications related to his premature birth. His team treated him for retinopathy of prematurity, an eye condition common in premature babies, to save his sight. Once his immature lungs developed, he transitioned from supplemental oxygen and learned to take formula from a bottle after having received all nutrition through a feeding tube.

Trace's team cared for him around the clock. They also cared for Aryn. "Sometimes they would just talk to me," she says. "I had art therapy sessions with other moms in the NICU. The people at Children's National became family."

After 107 long days, Trace went home for the first time at 4 months old. He weighed 7 pounds. Today, Trace is a busy, thriving toddler. "He loves exploring and going to day care. He knows all the words to his favorite songs. I could not be prouder of him — or more grateful for the care we received at Children's National."