Nidia desperately needed help for her yet-to-be-born son, Joshua.
An ultrasound had found a devastating diagnosis: Joshua’s esophagus hadn’t grown long enough to reach his stomach. Doctors in Nidia’s home country, Nicaragua, said they couldn’t treat this rare condition, which robs children of vital nutrition and leaves them struggling to breathe.
But Nidia wouldn’t give up.
She started researching and learned that Boston Children’s Hospital offers a groundbreaking treatment for Joshua’s condition. When Nidia reached out to Boston Children’s, the doctor said: “Just get here, and we can take care of your baby.”
A journey to save Joshua
With permission from her doctors, Nidia flew to Boston. Her church found a family to host her and take her to appointments.
Four weeks later, Joshua was born in an emergency delivery at a nearby hospital and rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit at Boston Children’s. Expert care and nutrition helped him grow strong enough for a series of surgeries—each one slowly pulling his esophagus closer to his stomach until it was fully connected.
Nidia slept at Joshua’s bedside and crafted over 200 friendship bracelets to thank everyone at the hospital who cared for her son and comforted her as she missed her 3-year-old at home.
She even held her son’s christening at the hospital “because his community—all the people who cared for him from Day One—are in Boston.”
Finally, mother and son could go home to Nicaragua. Today, Joshua is smiley and playful and adores his big sister, who feels the same way.
