Connecticut surgeon adopted the premature baby she saved in 2006 who suffered a rare birth defect

A Connecticut woman who was just launching her career as a pediatric surgeon saved and adopted a infant girl who suffered a rare birth defect in 2006. 

Dr. Christine Fink – now the surgeon-in-chief at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center – received the call of her life, one February night around 11pm, while she was an attending physician at a children’s hospital in Philadelphia. 

‘I wiped the sleep from my eyes and listened to the neonatal intensivist tell me about a premature baby being born at another hospital with gastroschisis,’ she said in a blog post. 

Gastroschisis is a condition that causes a baby’s intestine to be outside of their body and is extremely rare. It effects 1,800 people each year in the country, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 

She added: ‘I was struck by the small peanut that greeted me. Despite having all her intestines not where they were supposed to be, she was feisty! Her bright blue eyes seemed to be smiling at me.’

Speaking with the infant’s young mother, Dr. Fink shared her plans with the mom and learned that the girl’s name was Isabelle. 

She was told that a premature baby was born with gastroschisis, a rare birth defect that effects 1,800 people in the U.S. annually. It is a condition that causes a baby’s intestine to be outside of their body and is extremely rare

When Isabelle’s mother struggled to adequately take care of the infant, she visited Dr. Fink who offered to adopt the girl

‘The first year of Isabelle’s life was extremely tough. She required many operations to help fix her intestines,’ said Dr. FInk.

‘She was on intravenous nutrition and fought many infections. I was her primary surgeon and I would take care of her every day. I would always end my visit by holding her tiny hand.’

And when one of the nurses shared that ‘I think you are going to take this one home,’ the doctor was stunned by such a statement but would soon learn that that would be the case. 

Dr Finck said: ‘Right then and there I blurted out- “I can take her”. I remember thinking, “Wow, who said that?!” And then her mom stated, “Oh that would be great. You know her the best”‘

Things quickly took a turn when Isabelle was slated to go home just before her first birthday. 

Still on IV nutrition and with a feeding tube in her stomach, Isabelle also had a huge IV line under her collar bone. 

But her young mother struggled to adequately make ends meet for Isabella, as she didn’t have consistent support at home. 

Isabelle is now in the seventh grade and shared with the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center Foundation that she is ‘glad [her] mom was [her] surgeon because she could take the best care of me’

‘She loved Isabelle and made an effort to take care of her. However, after 2 nights, she brought her to my office. I remember vividly how her face turned red, and she shyly stated that she just could not keep her. There was no family that could help,’ the mother-of-three said.

‘Right then and there I blurted out- “I can take her”. I remember thinking, “Wow, who said that?!” And then her mom stated, “Oh that would be great. You know her the best.”‘

But soon after, the doctor called her husband and he was quick to be in agreement. 

Isabelle is now in the seventh grade and shared with the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center Foundation that she is ‘glad [her] mom was [her] surgeon because she could take the best care of me.’  

Isabelle loves music, swimming and her friends and finds that science is one of her favorite subject. 

‘She’s kind and sweet, she helps me with my homework and always looks forward to playing with me,’ Madeline (in passenger seat), Isabelle’s nine-year-old sister, added.

Hallmark stores in Meriden, Shelton, Trumbull and West Farms will make it so that people can donate to the center in honor of the doctor

‘She’s kind and sweet, she helps me with my homework and always looks forward to playing with me,’ Madeline, Isabelle’s nine-year-old sister, added. 

For her mother, the trials of motherhood have helped mold her into a better doctor to help other youth. 

‘It absolutely makes me more empathetic to what other parents are facing. It’s funny, going through surgical training and then pediatric surgery, I always said I didn’t have children before, mainly because it just wasn’t the right time or whatever, but I’m happy I waited because I think that some of the emotional connections that you have, could really have derailed me a bit,’ Dr. Finck said to Fox 61. 

‘You realize that you’re taking care of not only the kids, but their parents, and there’s a lot that goes into it. And once you’re a mom, you see the whole thing’ 

Hallmark stores in Meriden, Shelton, Trumbull and West Farms will make it so that people can donate to the center in honor of the doctor.