Tim and Gabrielle Groth are enduring a harrowing experience at a New York City hospital as their newborn son, born with congenital heart disease, battles for his life in the ICU. The infant, who was born on March 31, is in critical condition following a circumcision that led to severe bleeding, according to the parents.
The Groths welcomed their son, Cole, at the NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in Manhattan. Despite being born with a congenital heart disease and requiring a stent, Cole was described as “one of the healthiest babies on the floor,” as per the family’s GoFundMe page. However, the situation took a turn for the worse after Cole was circumcised on April 14.
The Groths recount that complications arose the day after the circumcision. “Between 2am-9.30am Cole nearly bled to death,” the family shared on their online fundraiser. Gabrielle Groth described the heart-wrenching sight of her baby in the neonatal intensive care unit, noting his extreme pallor and distressing cries.
Tim Groth detailed the severity of Cole’s condition to local CBS affiliate WCBS, stating that Cole bled for over ten hours and suffered multiple complications. “The vital organs of his body lost blood and oxygen, and he suffered liver damage, kidney damage, brain damage,” Tim said, questioning how such a situation could occur in a cardiac NICU.
In response to the crisis, Cole was rushed into emergency surgery. Doctors had to remove parts of his intestines that had died due to the health crisis. The Groths shared that Cole was in the ICU with numerous tubes and medications, clinging to life. As of Friday, he was still in critical condition.
The Groths further revealed on their GoFundMe page that five segments of Cole’s intestines had turned black and died, and there was fecal matter throughout his abdomen. Doctors had to remove the dead intestines and identified several other areas that might die.
The family is grappling with the physical and emotional pain of the situation. Cole has undergone daily transfusions and at least four surgeries due to his health complications. Tim Groth expressed his struggle to comprehend how a seemingly stable baby could be thrust into a crisis following a circumcision. He also questioned the accountability of the hospital, which has declined to comment publicly about Cole’s situation.
