Naomi Armbruster, family forced to move after newborn‘s shock diagnosis

At just 10 weeks old and an only child, little Lucy Grace Armbruster has battled more than what many brave adults have. Now a shock diagnosis means she and her parents have had to leave their Gympie home to give her a fighting chance.

Tiny Lucy Armbruster is at the Queensland's Children Hospital receiving treatment for the condition she was born with, and her family has had to relocate from Gympie to Brisbane.

At just 10 weeks old and an only child, little Lucy Grace Armbruster has battled more than what many brave adults have.

Born on September 29, 2021, to Gympie parents Naomi and Joel Armbruster, Lucy’s safe arrival was a moment of great joy and celebration. But soon after her uncomplicated birth it became clear she needed help breathing.

She was transferred to the Royal Brisbane Hospital newborn intensive care unit and given a tracheostomy. About 10 days later the family returned to Gympie, but when Naomi took a genetic test that revealed Lucy’s diagnosis, everything changed.

Lucy was diagnosed with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome, or CCHS.

It means she cannot breathe properly when she sleeps and will never be able to do so.

For the rest of her life she will need a ventilator when she sleeps and she currently has a tracheostomy, a small tube placed into her windpipe to help her breath, which she will have to rely on for several years.

Lucy’s mum is a midwife at the Gympie Hospital. She and Joel have had to move to Brisbane for Lucy’s medical treatment.

Lucy is now in the home ventilation program at the Queensland Children’s Hospital where specialist nurses help with the insertion of the tracheostomy tube and ventilator once the family goes home.

“But obviously they only work a certain radius from the central hospital,” Mrs Armbruster told The Gympie Times.

The family plans to stay in Brisbane until Lucy reaches high school.

Mrs Armbruster said it had been tough watching her precious baby go through the medical treatment, but the nurses were impressed with Lucy’s progress.

“She is such a brave little girl and we are so proud of her. She has taken everything in her stride and all the nurses and doctors are amazed with her progress,” she said.

Often fascinated by the fairy lights in her room, Lucy is a baby who smiles a lot.

“She loves to smile, especially at mum and dad, or the fairy lights in her room,” Mrs Armbruster said.

“And her favourite thing is lots of cuddles with mum or dad.”

Mrs Armbruster said she could not fault the care Lucy had received at the Queensland Children’s Hospital.

“Everybody has gone above and beyond to care for us and I have to commend the public health system,” she said.

What had made the experience better was that the staff have were trying to give Lucy a normal childhood.

“They’re determined to make her a normal baby. There’s so many people coming in each day to ensure her experience is normal or as close to home as possible and I think that’s huge,” Mrs Armbruster said.

A Go-Fund-Me has been set up to help the Armbrusters with their drastic relocation to Brisbane after Lucy’s diagnosis. Click on the link above if you can help.