The parents and staff of Advocate Children's Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit finally sent Max Do, a toddler who had been confined to NICU for 11 months due to a rare genetic condition.
The little boy, whom the hospital staff has dubbed the "mayor of the NICU," has captured the hearts of Max Do, a smiling and happy baby. As the nurses held him, he walked out of NICU wearing a bowtie and graduation cap. Max took a few steps and was known as the first toddler to walk out of the NICU of the said hospital.
Rare genetic condition
Nearly a year ago, Dr. Michael Cappello, Advocate Children's neonatologist and vice chairman of pediatrics, described Max as very sick. He was born nine weeks early on June 2, 2021, via emergency C-section, Fox News reports.
His father, Dan Do, said he is now a chunky little boy, but when he was born, "he fit in our hands." Dan admitted that there were times when they thought they would lose little Max, and they were ready if it would happen.
When the mom, Kim Nguyen, was pregnant with Max, doctors already recognized that he had an abnormally distended belly, Dr. Capello explained in the Advocate Aurora Health forum.
When Max was born, a team was assigned to care for the baby and investigate his bowel complications. The doctors also did genetic testing.
The little boy was later diagnosed with congenital sodium diarrhea, a rare condition caused by a genetic mutation. The mutation regulates the amount of sodium and water that enters the intestines. Capello said that no one has ever recorded having such a mutation, Good Morning America reports.
His intestines lose sodium and water faster the normal babies. Hence, he is fed through a line similar to an IV to prevent dehydration and ensure his growth. The condition had only 50 cases reported.
Max had surgeries within his first two months and had a year of treatment at the NICU. Max had the proper food replacements and doses of electrolytes which became his sustainable treatment and put him on the right track for development.
The little mayor of NICU
Dr. Capello said that the hospital dubbed Max "mayor of the NICU" because of his fantastic charisma. The physician admitted that it was difficult to turn away from Max.
The doctor admitted that it took them months to figure out how to care for and manage Max's condition, and during that time, staff members fell in love with the smiling, happy baby. The father said that Max loves people and prefers to engage in social interaction rather than play with toys.
According to NBC 5 Chicago, Max was smiling when he returned home, while her sister Ivy was trying to get to know his little brother more. The dad said Ivy had been a good and sweet big sister.
Baby Max will continue to visit the GI team at Advocate Children's Hospital frequently to monitor his progress, and an at-home nurse will also help in caring for him.
