Helping Families in the NICU

Micah’s Story

Micah Elizabeth Sigle was born on December 1, 2015, at 9:25 a.m. Her life here on earth lasted just 31 days, but her impact was immeasurable. Micah’s mighty spirit, resilience, and will to fight touched countless lives, both during her time with us and long after.

At 17 weeks into the pregnancy, Micah was diagnosed with a Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH), a condition where a hole forms in the diaphragm, allowing abdominal organs to move into the chest and prevent the lungs from developing properly. In Micah’s case, the defect was severe: her stomach, liver, and intestines had all moved above the diaphragm, leaving her lungs with little room to grow.

Just 36 hours after birth, Micah was placed on ECMO, heart and lung bypass, and remained on the machine for 21 days. On December 8th, her diaphragm was surgically repaired and her organs were moved back into place. When she was removed from ECMO, doctors did not expect her heart or lungs to sustain her for more than a few hours. But Micah defied every expectation. She fought for nine more precious days, giving us the unimaginable gift of spending Christmas and New Year’s Eve with her.

Micah’s journey was filled with highs and lows, but she never stopped fighting. Her brave, beautiful life came to an end on January 1, 2016.