Thomas’ Story
Thomas Johnston and his twin brother, Jackson Robert were born July 30, 2018. Thomas required immediate medical intervention at birth due to a Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH). Thomas was diagnosed with CDH as 20 weeks gestation, there was a hole in his diaphragm that caused much of his abdominal organs to be up in his chest. This pushed his heart towards the right side of his bodying caused both lungs to not develop. Doctors worried they wouldn't be able to intubate him at brith, but they did.They said he would need to go on ECMO right after birth, but he didn't. He was on a respirator for the first 10 hours of his life. Then ECMO had to be used as a way to pump and oxygenate his blood for him. He spent the next 24 days on this machine. Everyday was a rollercoaster ride, there were ups and downs. He needed to come off of ECMO because his liver and kidneys were starting to fail, but his right lung wasn't fully developed and his left lung was barely visible He wasn’t able to come off the machine and on August 23, in his mommy’s arms, with his daddy and twin next to him he joined the thousands of other CDH angels.