“When people ask me how we got through it, I say, it was a horrible time, but it was a great experience,” she says. “It’s a strange juxtaposition—what we were going through was so awful, but we were surrounded by
“healthy, active kid,” his mom says. Not only is Sage healthy, he’s also happy. “People always tell me, ‘Your child has such a sweet soul. He’s so full of life,’” Kimberly adds. “I always say that he has such an ap- preciation for life because he fought so hard to get here. Plus, he spent the first six to eight months of his life flirting with nurses, so he’s got a great personality,” she laughs. Kimberly has endless accolades for the team at Rady Children’s that shaped the first year of her son’s life and have sup - ported her family from day one. “I tell people I will never leave San Diego unless my child’s surgeon relocates,” she says. “It is just so wonderful to have a doc- tor who genuinely loves my kid. Dr. Brig- ger’s passion for what he does and for the children he treats—and specifically for my child—is amazing. I am as strong of a mom as I am because of all the support we got. I feel so fortunate that we are in such good hands. Dr. Brigger is a super special person in my life and always will be.”
such amazing people, from the nurses in the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) to Dr. Brigger to the people at the front desk! Everyone was so wonderful to us, and we felt supported the whole time.” After a few more bumps in the road that included Sage pulling out his feeding and breathing tubes several times, the family finally made it over the hump.
"I tell people I will never leave San Diego unless my child’s surgeon relocates."
“Throughout it all, Sage was telling us what he needed. It was him saying, ‘I’m leading my journey, too, and I’m going to tell you what’s up!’” Kimberly says. “After he pulled out the feeding tube another time, Dr. Brig- ger had to fight to have it not put back in. He said, ‘Let’s see how he does without it.’ And guess what? He fed on his own! We’re only talking about a few milliliters of a differ - ence, but still, he did it. They allowed our child to thrive, and he was thriving!”
SAGE, THE SOCCER AND SKATEBOARD STAR
It took a full year to get feeding down, but after that, there was no stopping Sage. By 18 months, he was on a skateboard. By 3, he was eating a hamburger. Now, at 5, there’s no limit to what he can do. “I remember early on, Dr. Brigger told me, ‘One day this will all be behind us, and you’ll be standing on the soccer field watch - ing him play,’” Kimberly says. “It’s pretty impressive that this is where we are today.” Sage still sees Dr. Brigger for “routine maintenance.” He’s had his tonsils and adenoids removed, and he sees a gastroen- terologist, a pulmonologist and an allergist. Still, for all that he’s gone through, he’s a
A family affair: Sage shares a love of skateboarding with mom, Kimberly, and dad, Abe.
20 HEALTHY KIDS MAGAZINE SUMMER 2023
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker