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. 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.
It is thanks to the support of Variety that Kenny Hulett III and families like his continue to receive the comprehensive, psychosocial care essential for navigating through the medical, social and emotional trials accompanying a facial difference. As part of an ongoing mission to promote a therapeutic outlet through the arts and to raise awareness for the NFFR, Kenny’s family, along with 12 others, enjoyed a complimentary photo shoot by a professional photographer. These incredible family photographs and stories will be spotlighted in the myFace, myFamily calendar, released in early December. Stay updated about the exciting new transformations that are in store for the NFFR by “liking” the National Foundation for Facial Reconstruction on Facebook and visiting nffr.org.