Family Gives Back After Receiving Life-Saving Care for Newborn Son

Logan Musser and his twin brother, Hunter, were born three days before Christmas in 2010. Their parents, Maya and Thad, considered the boys an early holiday present, but the twins needed immediate attention from the experts in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Children’s National.

Hunter needed just a small check-up, but Logan was born with his liver outside of his body, a condition known as an omphalocele. Doctors led Maya and Thad through a step-by-step medical care plan to ensure Logan made a full recovery during his five-week stay in the NICU. Thad said, “The compassion we received from everyone was amazing -- from parking valets to child life specialists, to doctors and nurses. Everyone involved offered their support.”

As the Mussers learned, sickness doesn’t stop for the holidays, and every year, many patients have to celebrate their festivities in the hospital, but that doesn’t mean that holiday cheer is gone. The child life specialists at Children’s National worked tirelessly to create an uplifting environment, provide hope, and ensure that the Mussers and other families were able to experience the spirit of the holiday.

“It is just one of many ways Children’s National brings a sense of normalcy to a family’s hospital stay,” Thad said. At the Holiday Toy Shoppe, child life specialists help parents shop for free toys, books, dolls, and more. For many parents, this is the only opportunity between doctor visits to find holiday gifts for their families.

Logan’s care team provided exceptional care and guidance to him and his parents as he prepared for surgery to place his liver inside his body. They brought Logan presents and made sure the NICU was as comforting as it could possibly be.

After Logan’s successful surgery, he was strong enough to go home to be with his twin brother. Today, the boys are happy and healthy, and enjoy playing with their dog in the backyard. Every year, Thad organizes a toy drive to give back to the place that helped give him his family. Also, as a lender for homebuyers, Thad donates a gift to Children’s National for every client who purchases a new home through his financing.

“My hope is that any family that goes through something like this has the same experience as we did at Children’s National,” said Thad. “I am proud to give back and help them continue to give amazing care to their patients and their families.”