Gabriel endured endless tests, X-rays and scans. His chest was too small, his ribs underdeveloped and he was unable to breathe unaided.
At two months old, he had his first major surgery, a tracheostomy – a hole in his windpipe to give him an alternative airway for breathing.
But it came with new fears. Now, if he moved too much, the tube could block, cutting off his airway.
“The first time this happened was horrifying,” Teena said.
“One minute he was fine, the next his heart rate plummeted, he turned blue and went cold in my arms.”
For months, emergencies like these were happening every other day and the couple asked doctors if they would ever be able to save their child. They couldn’t give them an answer.
“I’ve never heard his voice because you need air to pass through the voice box but the hole in his neck for the ventilator is below that,” Teena said.
“It makes me cry when I see him crying silently.”
