Chloe G .

Updated 5/8/2026

Triumphing Over a Rocky Start: Chloe’s Story

When Chloe’s mother, Lianne, was 20 weeks’ pregnant, her obstetrician noticed that baby Chloe’s head looked smaller than it should have been and referred her for an ultrasound. The ultrasound confirmed that Chloe was, indeed, small for her gestational age—a condition known as fetal growth restriction. 

The ultrasound revealed something else, too—something that was even more worrisome. Lianne had vasa previa, a rare pregnancy complication in which blood vessels from the umbilical cord cover the opening of the cervix. When it goes undetected, those blood vessels can rupture during delivery and endanger the lives of both mother and baby. 

Fortunately for Lianne and Chloe, it was discovered in time and Lianne was put on modified bed rest. She was told she would be admitted to the hospital when her pregnancy got to 31 weeks and Chloe would be delivered by caesarean section at 34 weeks. That was the doctors’ plan, anyway.

Preterm and weighing just 3.5 pounds

Chloe had other plans. Six days after Lianne was admitted to the hospital, contractions began and Chloe was delivered early at 32 weeks, weighing just three and a half pounds. She was whisked away to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for breathing and feeding support. She spent weeks in a special incubator designed to help her regulate her body temperature. 

The night before Chloe was scheduled to finally go home, on her father Peter’s 30th birthday, NICU staff offered Lianne and Peter the opportunity to spend the night with Chloe in one of the NICU’s family rooms. As new parents, they jumped at the chance. In the morning, Lianne went home for a quick shower and Peter left for work. When Lianne returned to the NICU, a nurse was waiting for her with unwelcome news.

Chloe had been unable to maintain her body temperature overnight and was back in the incubator. She was also back on a feeding tube because after hours of trying to stay warm, she was too exhausted to feed from a bottle. Instead of going home that day, she ended up spending another two weeks in the NICU.  

Another setback—and a trip to the PICU

Finally, after six weeks in the NICU, Chloe was being readied for discharge when a neonatologist discovered she had two inguinal hernias. Lianne and Peter were allowed to take Chloe home, but had to return to Connecticut Children’s two days later for surgery with Surgeon-in-Chief Christine Finck, MD. 

The one-hour surgery was successful, but Chloe struggled to breathe on her own after waking up from anesthesia. She was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) where, fortunately, she recovered relatively quickly. “Being in the PICU for two days was far more terrifying than being in the NICU for six weeks,” said Lianne.  

Years of multi-specialty care followed

Like many NICU graduates, Chloe received lots of follow-up care at Connecticut Children’s. There were many gastroenterology appointments after her discharge from the PICU, because she continued to struggle with feeding. To address her obstructive sleep apnea, she had ear tubes placed three times and multiple surgeries to remove her tonsils and adenoids. “She has an ENT frequent flyer card,” Lianne said. “She has seen all of the ENT surgeons.”

Early on, Chloe faced communication challenges and was voluntarily mute until the age of four, necessitating several years of speech therapy. “Now she never ever stops talking, which we’re very thankful for,” Lianne added. Occupational therapy helped her develop fine and gross motor skills. 

After the clouds, rainbows

Despite her many early challenges, Chloe is thriving today. She recently celebrated her seventh birthday with a princess-themed party and is obsessed with stuffed animals. She loves to sing and dance and, as a budding artist, specializes in rainbows. It’s no surprise that art and music are her favorite classes in school, where she is a first-grader. 

Although Chloe didn’t begin to walk until she was two, she surprised her family by learning to ride a bike at age four. She is also a strong swimmer and “the best big sister” to her younger brother, Charlie. 

She still comes to Connecticut Children’s for care, often seeing Robert Keder, MD, in the division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. She remains small for her age, so she has upcoming appointments with endocrinology and genetics to evaluate possible underlying causes.

Giving back through Connecticut Children’s Connection

Lianne has been deeply involved with Connecticut Children’s Connection since its earliest days, joining in 2019 when Chloe was not even a year old. A member of the steering committee for seven years now, she also served as co-chair in 2024.