Meet Raegan
Philanthropic support helps provide advanced and innovative fetal care that give babies like Raegan a chance to grow, heal and thrive before they even enter the world.
Alexis had a busy and joyful life filled with dance recitals and T-ball games for her two children while also working as a nurse. After learning she was expecting her third child, and having experienced two healthy pregnancies prior, she never imagined the challenges that lay ahead.
During a routine anatomy scan, doctors noticed fluid surrounding her unborn baby's lungs. As a nurse, Alexis immediately recognized something was wrong. What initially appeared to be a mild abnormality quickly became more serious. After weeks of monitoring, the fluid suddenly increased, placing her unborn baby at risk for lung underdevelopment, heart failure and a life-threatening condition called fetal hydrops.
At just 28 weeks pregnant, Alexis was referred to the Fetal Care Center at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies, where she met her maternal-fetal surgeon. Further testing revealed her unborn baby had bilateral pleural effusions caused by congenital chylothorax, a rare condition in which lymphatic fluid leaks into the space surrounding the lungs.
To give her unborn baby the best chance of survival, and just days after learning the condition had worsened, a minimally invasive fetal procedure was performed to place a tiny shunt that would drain fluid from around the baby's lungs.
Shortly afterward, Alexis' water broke, and at 33 weeks, Raegan was delivered at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer, where a specialized team was ready for her arrival. Raegan required breathing support and a stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), but the news her family had hoped for finally arrived: her rare condition had resolved.
Raegan spent 36 days in the NICU overcoming the challenges of prematurity while growing stronger each day. Today, she is a healthy, happy baby who is meeting developmental milestones and enjoying life at home with her family.
Looking back, Alexis is grateful for the coordinated care that guided her family through every step of the journey.
"Everyone was prepared. Everyone knew Raegan's story,” Alexis says. “We felt supported the entire time, and I truly believe her outcome would have been very different without the care she received at Orlando Health."
Today, Raegan is thriving at home with her family, meeting developmental milestones and bringing joy to everyone around her. Alexis affectionately calls her "Rae of Sunshine" because of her cheerful personality.
“She’s the smiliest, happiest little baby,” Alexis says.
