Update: Baby Caden was transferred by a medical air flight to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital on 7/18/26 and is now awaiting evaluation by the medical teams there. We will update you as we know more as to what the next steps will be. Thank you for your continued prayers for Caden, his parents, and siblings. God is not done. 💙

On May 31st, 2026, Caleb and Hannah McCuiston welcomed their fourth child into the world, a precious baby boy they named Caden Seth. Caden was born with a beautiful head of strawberry blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a love for cuddles.

Like all parents, Caleb and Hannah fully expected to bring Caden home to meet his siblings in the next day or two to begin their lives together as a family of six. However, just two hours after he was born, what had started as such a joyous evening ended with uncertainty and heartache as their little boy suddenly began struggling to breathe and was whisked away to the NICU, where he has remained for the last six weeks (as of this writing on 7/12/26).

It was discovered that Caden had a congenital heart condition, feeding difficulties that prevented him from safely nursing or taking a bottle, and several other physical differences that prompted further genetic testing. When he was almost three weeks old the test results showed that Caden has a very rare genetic disorder called CHARGE Syndrome. This genetic mutation of the CHD7 gene can affect nearly any part of a baby's body, and in Caden's case we currently know it has affected his heart, kidneys, eyes, ears, and his ability to swallow without aspirating milk into his lungs.

In just six short weeks, this sweet, precious little boy who loves snuggles and lullabies has been through more testing, procedures, and hardship than some people experience in a lifetime. On 7/7/26, due to his inability to swallow without aspirating, Caden had a feeding tube placed directly into his stomach, which was supposed to enable him to finally go home to his family within a week where he could begin his new life with the siblings he has still yet to meet and an immediate and extended family who could supply all the snuggles and lullabies his little heart desires.

However, Caden's recovery from the surgery did not go well, and over the following days he slowly became lethargic, and his fun and fiery personality all but disappeared. It was then decided that he needed to be placed on a respirator. It has since been determined that Caden needs a higher level of care than the Dolly Parton Children's Hospital in Knoxville can provide, and he will soon be transferred to another hospital several hours away for another procedure, where we hope and pray he can soon get off the respirator, heal, and come home at last.

For the past six weeks, Caleb and Hannah have traveled to and from the hospital every single day to be by Caden's side, striving to balance work and life at home with three other children while navigating a new world of specialists, challenging decisions, and uncertainty.

Caden's medical expenses are adding up quickly, as you can imagine, not to mention the expenses from traveling to and from the hospital daily and all that entails. Now that Caden will be transferred to another hospital hours away from home, those expenses will only increase. Additionally, there will be equipment that needs to be purchased whenever he is ready to come home at last. Any and all donations received will go towards paying off the medical bills not covered by insurance, travel expenses, meals, necessary equipment, and any other expenses related to his care.

These past six weeks have been an unimaginably hard journey for Caleb, Hannah, sweet baby Caden, and his three siblings at home. Nevertheless, God's grace is at work in the lives of everyone involved--from Caleb and Hannah and their children to Caden himself. His name means "fighter," something that Caleb and Hannah didn't even realize when they named him long before he was born--but God knew! Caden is living up to his name, and God has given him the blessing of a fighting spirit. More than anything, we ask for your prayers for baby Caden and his family -- because this story is not over, and God is not done! If the Lord moves on your heart to donate financially, we are so grateful for that as well. May the Lord bless you!