As Superstorm Sandy battered New York City on October 29, 2012, Kenny, diagnosed in utero with a bilateral cleft lip and palate and Mosaic Trisomy 16, was delivered via emergency C-section. At 2.1 pounds, Kenny was one of the four newborn babies born that day who relied on respirators to breathe.

As Kenny was immediately transferred to the NICU, the wrath of Sandy caused the basement, lower floors, and elevator shafts at NYU Langone Medical Center to fill with 10 to 12 feet of water, resulting in a power outage. With no power to run the respirators, Kenny, was carried in the darkness down nine flights of stairs while a nurse manually squeezed a bag to deliver air to his lungs.

Surrounded by a team that included his father, nurses, doctors, security, and volunteers, Kenny, only seven hours-old, was safely evacuated to NY Presbyterian- Weill Cornell Medical Center, and reunited with his mother the following day. Kenny stayed at Cornell’s NICU until his discharge on January 13, 2013, and subsequently returned to the Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery (IRPS) at NYU to begin the Nasal Alveolar Molding (NAM) procedure to repair his cleft lip and palate. Over one year later, Kenny is healthy, happy and smiling his flawless smile.

Writes his mother:

Each day, he continues to grow, both physically and developmentally. We count our blessings every day for his health, his happiness, his life. We are thankful for the NFFR and their team for their continued care, support and guidance since the first day we met and in helping to improve his quality of life. We are indebted to you for your help to ensure the safety, survival, and well-being of our son on that fateful day.