Written by Scott Rowe

One Hervey Bay family is guaranteed that Christmas 2024 will be one of the most special on record after welcoming their newborn baby home for his first festive season.

Baby Josh is most certainly a little fighter after battling a congenital diaphragmatic hernia that has a 40 per cent mortality rate. Fortunately, little Josh defied the odds and was born on August 13 and has now returned home relatively complication free.

Parents Blair and Shaun discovered when they were pregnant that their unborn son had the condition where there was an opening in the diaphragm which allowed the bowel and stomach to push through into the chest cavity placing pressure on the developing child’s lungs and restricting growth.

Local charity Rally for a Cause assisted the family with financial support as they had extensive travel and accommodation costs in Brisbane for medical appointments. Both were forced to give up work to care for their family and give Josh the best chance of survival.

Blair, a teacher, had to finish work earlier than expected and was on bed rest for weeks until Josh was born.

Josh then required surgery and recovery in infant intensive care before getting the all clear to return home and join his family in the Bay.

“I wanted to let everybody that assisted us know our happy news, we are back in Hervey Bay and doing well,” mother Blair said.

“We are so grateful for all the support and kindness that Rally for a Cause and the team have shown our family.

“To the strangers that don’t even know us – yet are helping us out – we can’t thank you enough.

“Our little Josh is such a fighter and has been so strong through all of this. We are so blessed and so grateful to have him home and doing well.”

Blair said Josh’s team of doctors have been pleasantly surprised by how well he has progressed since his release from hospital.

“He is certainly a fighter and we are so pleased with his progress and to have him home,” father Shaun said.

During the lengthy hospital stays the Ryan family were paying for accommodation in the middle of Brisbane weekly plus travel costs and food whilst not working.

“Rally for a Cause helped ease that stress and allowed us to focus on what we needed to do for Josh.

“We are fortunate to have the support of the community and charities in our region like Rally for a Cause.”