Hello everyone and welcome to Maggie's VACTERL Conference site . I built this site in order to see if we would be able
to collect donations so that we can attend this wonderful , educational , life altering conference so that we can learn how
to better care for our daughter Margaret ( Maggie. )
Maggie was born on August 8, 2006 with a rare condition called VACTERL Association . We were unaware that Maggie
would have this so we were totally uprepared for what lied ahead for all of us . Maggie is a wonderful little girl who has
brought so much joy to our family . We learn things from her everyday and with that have met so many wonderful people in our
journey to care for our daughter's special needs .
If you are unfamiliar with VACTERL Association , this is a nonrandom association of birth defects. VACTERL is a mnemonic
in which the letters V,A,C ,T, E ,R and L each stand for one or more type of malformation .
V- vertebral anomolies, and
A- anal atresia ( no hole at the bottom end of the intestine )
C- Cardiac defect
TE- tracheoEsophageal fistula ( communication between esophagus and trachea) with esophageal atresia ( part
of the esophagus is not hollow )
R- Renal ( kidney ) anomolies and
L - Limb anomolies , most often radial dysplasia ( abnormal formation of the thumb or the radius bone in the forearm
)
VACTERL association has been recurrently observed in newborn babies . Is it h more common in children of diabetic mothers
than in the general population .
Maggie was born with the V,A , C , R and L of this association
V- hemivertebrae , tethered cord
A- Low imperforate anus with vaginal fistula
C- ASD ( atrial septial defect )
R- grade 2/3 reflux on left side and right kidney function at 20% with severely dialated right ureter and it drains slow
( we will not know why until she has a cystscopy done )
L- underdeveloped right hand , radial hypoplasia , and shorten forearm , and hypoplastic left thumb
