CHESTERTON | Jaslyn Parker turns 1 today. It's a milestone her parents consider a miracle.
The daughter of Tiffany and Jason Parker, of Chesterton, was born with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia, which occurs in one in 2,000 births. When she was born, Jaslyn's stomach, liver, spleen and small and large intestines were in her chest, compromising her lungs.
"She has approximately 3/4 of a lung on the right side and merely a bud on the left," said Tiffany Parker.
The Parkers found out about their daughter's condition about 33 weeks into the pregnancy.
"At that time our lives changed forever," Tiffany Parker said. "It's hard to look at her now and realize they told me she wouldn't survive."
Jaslyn is doing fine now. She has some weight-gain issues, breathes faster and started having seizures, but she plays and has fun with her brothers, Tyler and Dakota, and sister, Makenna. She gets herself up holding onto furniture, but is not yet walking on her own.
When she was 6 days old, doctors told the Parkers their daughter wouldn't even make it through the night, but they could put her on a last resort heart-lung bypass machine for infants. This machine was primed with 2 liters of donated blood.
That blood, according to the Parkers, basically saved Jaslyn's life. She made it through that night and continues to thrive, even after undergoing several surgeries.
The Parkers are so thankful for the donated blood Jaslyn received that in honor of her birthday there will be a blood drive from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Valparaiso American Legion Post 94, 4 E. Monroe St. There also will be a pancake and sausage breakfast for those who donate.
"We want to give back to the community for all the blood Jaslyn received while in the Chicago hospital and here at Porter," Parker said. "She wouldn't be here if it weren't for the blood. We can never repay those who gave our daughter blood. But hopefully we can do for another family what they did for ours."
If you go
Blood drive and pancake and sausage breakfast
When: 8 a.m. to noon Saturday
Where: Valparaiso American Legion Post 94, 4 E. Monroe St.
FYI: (800) GIVE LIFE
