Wahpeton girl born with heart defect prepares for open heart surgery

A GoFundMe page is set up to help Madilyn McCambridge's family

WAHPETON, N.D. (KVRR) — A baby girl from Wahpeton has been through more in three and a half months than most ever will.

When Madilyn McCambridge was born in August, her parents were overjoyed as they welcomed their first girl into the world. “We were so excited, you know, I finally got my baby girl,” says her mom Alicia.

As Madilyn’s life began, so did her health problems.

She was born prematurely with a congenital heart defect, but the complications didn’t stop there.

A different heart defect followed and Madilyn had to have a gastrostomy tube placed into her abdomen.

Since then, she has been diagnosed with Charge Syndrome and has been in and out of hospitals in Fargo and Minneapolis.

Multiple operations later, Madilyn is now at Sanford Health Medical Center trying to gain weight as doctors prepare her for open heart surgery in a couple months.

“Some days it’s harder than others,” Alicia explains. “When she’s having her good days, you do, you think, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re finally having a break through,’ and then maybe the next day she has a setback or something.”

Yet another setback for the McCambridge family is Alicia losing her nursing job because she ran out of family sick leave.

She says, “I’ve worked since I’ve been 15. I’ve never been without a job. You know, not being able to work and support my family has affected myself.”

As she commutes everyday from her home in Wahpeton where her husband and two boys are, to Fargo where Madilyn stays in the hospital, Alicia tries to stay positive.

“We also think about it as how much of a blessing and how much of a fighter she is as well.”

Alicia’s sister started a GoFundMe page for Madilyn, and she says thoughts and prayers are more than welcome for her baby girl.

To help Madilyn’s family through this tough time, click here.