Delainey Christensen

Delainey Noelle Christensen was our first baby and we were excitedly waiting her arrival. I had a complicated pregnancy with severe hyperemesis however we only thought our baby would be born smaller than average. Delainey was born at 35 weeks, weighing in at 3lbs 4ozs and 16.5 inches long. She was diagnosed with CdLS within 12 hours of birth by a geneticist. Sadly, Delainey lived her entire life of 5 weeks in the NICU overcoming numerous obstacles until that fateful day. She went in for a g-tube placement and fundoplication surgery at 4 weeks of age but her liver and spleen were accidentally cut by the surgical retractors and she profusely bled out. The surgeon tried securing a central line to give blood except he missed and collapsed her lung. She then needed a chest tube. It seemed she was having complication after complication during and following surgery. Delainey coded a few days after surgery and they had a very hard time getting her back but eventually she was reintubated and her heart was beating. We were elated. The happiness and relief was replaced quickly with despair when we found out she had gone too long without oxygen during the code and she had no brain activity. Our precious daughter died peacefully in our arms after the ventilator was removed 1 week following surgery. Our life and hearts had shattered into a billion pieces at that moment. Delainey brought us so much joy while she was here on this earth. We wouldn’t trade a single day we had with her. She is dearly missed. Delainey will always be our first daughter/child and she will never be forgotten. RIP our sweet baby girl. Until we meet again …. We love you so much.