Abby’s Treacher Collins journey and the comprehensive team at Manning Family Children’s who helped her thrive

When Christina found out she was pregnant with her second daughter, Abigail, in January 2016, she faced a deeply personal and complex decision. Having raised her first daughter, Debra, largely on her own, she was preparing for a new chapter of life. She anticipated 2016 would be the year she watched Debra graduate from high school and began envisioning what life might look like as an empty nester for the first time. 

The thought of starting over with diapers and sleepless nights felt overwhelming. After careful consideration, Christina chose to make an adoption plan for her baby. 

“I did not want to start over,” Christina said. “I found a family to adopt the baby and was completely happy with my decision.” 

When Christina Fisher gave birth to her second daughter, Abigail, in January 2016, she had never heard of Treacher Collins syndrome. The disorder is a rare genetic condition that occurs in approximately 1 in 50,000 births worldwide and impacts the development of a baby’s skull and facial bones. 

Christina followed all of her doctor’s recommendations for routine prenatal testing, including an amniocentesis to screen for genetic and chromosomal conditions and a three-dimensional ultrasound to get a detailed look at the baby. None of the tests, Christina said, revealed a diagnosis of Treacher Collins syndrome.

In fact, no one suspected anything until after Abby was born. That’s when physicians at the Florida hospital where she delivered diagnosed the genetic condition. They noted that Abby had underdeveloped cheekbones and a small lower jaw. Her ears were different in size and shape, and she had a cleft palate. Most concerning, Christina said, were Abby’s significant breathing difficulties, which required her to remain in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for five weeks. 

Although Christina does not carry the gene for Treacher Collins syndrome, it was later discovered that Abby’s birth father has the condition. 

Unfortunately, when the adoptive family saw Abby shortly after she was born, they decided not to take her home. 

“There was no conversation,” Christina said. “They came to the hospital, saw her, and walked away. Later, they accused me of keeping Abby’s condition from them. At the time, it broke me,” she said. “But now I know I was meant to keep her.” 

Today, at age 10, Abby’s positivity and joyful energy are contagious. She is a walking, talking poster child for determination and joy. “She makes people laugh and smile wherever she goes,” Christina added. “Abby is the best thing that ever happened to me.” 

From NICU to “Hospital at Home”: Learning to Care for Abby  

The hopeful attitude Christina shares now was in short supply a decade ago. After her NICU stay, Abby was discharged with a gastrostomy tube (G-Tube) surgically implanted in her stomach for feeding and the need for a suite of additional medical machines. 

“My bedroom became a hospital at home,” Christina said. “Abby had an oxygen machine, an apnea monitor to detect pauses in breathing, a pulse oximeter to measure oxygen levels in her blood, and a feeding pump.” 

Further, Christina became certified in CPR and the Heimlich maneuver because Abby was at high risk for choking. “Her breathing was a constant noise in the room,” Christina said. “It sounded like something was in the back of her throat. That became my comfort. As long as I could hear it, I could sleep because I knew she was breathing.” 

Abby had undergone two major surgeries in Florida before the age of two. She had a mandibular distraction to enlarge her airway and attempt to improve her breathing. The intent of this intricate surgery was to gradually lengthen Abby’s lower jaw and allow it to slowly move forward. Her second surgery involved a palate repair to allow Abby to eat without the G-Tube.  

In September 2019, 3-year-old Abby underwent an adenoidectomy. Again, this was done to improve her breathing and involved removing tissue behind her nose.  

“That was the most frightening day of my life. During that procedure, Abby coded twice,” Christina said. “Her heart stopped and she had to be revived. I’ll never forget how I felt when I heard she literally died twice on the table.” 

Finding Hope and a New Beginning at Manning Family Children’s 

Shortly before Abby turned eight, she and Christina moved from Florida to a small town in Louisiana, about an hour and 20 minutes from Manning Family Children’s in New Orleans.  

“I trusted the doctors in Florida and when they recommended Manning Family Children’s, I knew it was the place to take Abby,” Christina said. 

When they first met with the craniofacial team at Children’s in 2024, Christina noticed something different about the way the medical team interacted with her. “Everybody was really accepting. They really listened to me,” she said. “I’ve met a lot of doctors who think they know better. But it’s important to listen to the mom because she’s with the child every day.” 

“They took my level of anxiety into consideration when they spoke with me. Since coming to New Orleans and Children’s, I have never felt like I’m in this alone,” Christina added. 

A Team That Listens: Compassionate and Coordinated Care  

Abby’s care team at Manning Family Children’s includes specialists in ear, nose and throat, audiology, dentistry, speech therapy and craniofacial surgery. Christina highlights otolaryngologist James McMurray, MD, and Laura Neff, an audiologist, as key figures in Abby’s care. 

“Abby was anxious,” Christina recalled. “We were at a new hospital with a new surgeon. But our concerns went away once we realized how much the entire medical team cared about the families at Children’s. I never have to remind them of anything.” 

Abby’s surgery in April 2025 at Manning Family Children’s had a dual purpose: to complete some dental work, and evaluate her airway. Dr. McMurray attempted to pass a scope down her throat to assess the condition of her airway but had to stop the procedure when Abby’s oxygen levels dropped rapidly. 

“He knew exactly when to stop so he wouldn’t cause damage,” Christina said. “I don’t trust doctors easily when it comes to Abby. But when he took the care he did, I was amazed. We were in and out of the hospital in under two hours. That has never happened before. It’s a testament to how this medical team works so well together.” 

Tracheostomy: A Life-Changing Decision to Protect Abby’s Airway 

The fact that Dr. McMurray was unable to get a good look at Abby’s airway was a sign that a tracheostomy, a surgical procedure that creates an opening in the front of the neck into the windpipe, might be in the cards for Abby. It’s something Christina vehemently did not want for her daughter. 

However, it wasn’t long before Dr. McMurray said it was time to move forward. 

“Abby’s airway continued to narrow, and her oxygen levels were dropping dangerously low at night,” Christina said she reported to the ENT. “The pulse oximeter alarm was constantly going off. Abby was missing school because she wasn’t able to sleep.” 

After careful discussion with Abby’s medical team, Christina said she agreed to have a tracheostomy surgically placed in Abby’s trachea in October 2025. 

Abby remained at Manning Family Children’s until mid-November. By the time she was discharged, there wasn’t a person in the hospital who hadn’t gotten to know Christina’s happy, always-smiling miracle child. 

“After getting the trach, Abby became a new kid. She is happy and feeling good. It was the right decision in the end,” Christina said. 

Unfortunately, Abby’s surgical journey is not over. Once her doctors are confident she has finished growing, they plan to reconstruct her upper and lower jaws to improve both function and facial structure. 

“Abby has incredible potential,” said Dr. McMurray. “I’m honored to be part of her journey and to help her become everything she’s capable of. The transformation we expect to see will be truly remarkable.” 

Christina hopes that after those surgeries, Abby will no longer need the trach to breathe. “For now, we’re living life and enjoying every day together,” she said. 

More than Medicine: The Child Life Team that Helped Abby 

Christina speaks just as passionately about the hospital’s Child Life team, dedicated specialists who help children cope with hospitalization through play, education, and emotional support. 

“They are amazing,” she says. “They become their best friends. Abby would not have made it to where she is without Bailey, her child life specialist.” 

Beyond the hospital walls, Abby thrives. Now 10 years old and in third grade, she loves makeup, drawing, painting, and swimming. She eats broccoli, carrots and pizza rolls. She dances constantly and makes friends everywhere she goes. 

“She will talk to you and make you her friend,” Christina says.  

Abby has also become a symbol of resilience for her mother and many organizations who have learned about her bubbly personality and fight for the healthy life she deserves.  

When Abby was 3 years old, still in Florida, she served as a 2019 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Champion. Last December, she was crowned a queen in the Manning Family Children’s holiday parade. In January 2026, Abby was named a “Baskin-Robbins Pint-Sized Hero.”  

She won a $31,000 grant for Manning Family Children’s and a year of free ice cream for herself! ​The $31,000 grant is supporting the construction of a 15,000-square-foot child enrichment center at Children’s. Set to open in the fall of 2026, Walker's Imaginarium will offer patients and their families many interactive exhibits designed to appeal to multiple age groups 

And, if you are wondering, so far, Abby is not yet sick of her favorite flavor – Carmel Turtle Truffle. 

“We go to Manning Family Children’s for everything.” 

For Christina, the difference at Manning Family Children’s comes down to trust. “I’m not trusting any other doctors,” she said. “But now we go to Children’s for everything.” 

After years of alarms, oxygen monitors, and uncertainty, she said she feels like she can finally breathe freely herself. “I owe everything to Children’s. They listen. They care. I’ve never felt like I’m doing this by myself.” 

For Abby, that support means space to do what she does best: dance, laugh, talk to anyone within reach and dream about the future. 

For more information about Ear, Nose and Throat care (otolaryngology) and Manning Family Children’s in New Orleans, please visit: https://www.manningchildrens.org/services/ear-nose-throat-care/ 

To learn about the Craniofacial Center at Manning Family Children’s in New Orleans, visit: https://www.manningchildrens.org/services/craniofacial-center/