Meet Georgia: A Boston Children’s Hospital Champion

When Georgia was born, she didn’t pass her meconium and was vomiting bile.

“I knew something was wrong and alerted doctors,” says Justine, Georgia’s mother.

The doctors did an X-ray, saw an obstruction and immediately transferred her to the NICU at Tufts Medical Center. They diagnosed her with small left colon, which is something that will eventually correct itself.

Georgia, a Boston Children's Hospital
champion, is participating in Family Advocacy
Day 2023.

“After weeks of unanswered questions and a worsening of her condition, we asked to be transferred down the road to Boston Children’s,” says Justine.

Providers at Boston Children’s Hospital diagnosed Georgia with chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction. “Within days of her diagnosis, Georgia was scheduled to have surgery to get an ileostomy,” says Justine. “Our family had no prior knowledge or experience with an ileostomy, so it was a huge learning curve for us.”

Georgia spent the first 102 days of her life at Boston Children’s receiving an ileostomy, g-tube, and being put on medications. During her first year, she continued to have severe episodes and numerous hospital stays.

Now Georgia sees a doctor who specializes in chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction, and she is in a clinical trial that her doctor oversees. “He has changed our life,” says Justine. Georgia has required subsequent surgeries and further stays at Boston Children’s Hospital.

The family has private health insurance, but after Georgia was born and the hospital bills started piling up, they applied for New Hampshire Medicaid coverage. “Our private insurance gave us a hard time covering supplies, medicine, and formula, but now NH Medicaid helps us to cover those costs,” says Justine. “Some of Georgia's prescriptions are not covered by our private insurance, so NH Medicaid helps to cover those too.”

Georgia recently had a 92 day stay at Boston Children's and celebrated her fifth birthday there. Despite this, Georgia lives life to the fullest and is a very happy child. She goes to school, does tumbling and cheerleading and keeps up with the other children.