Danielle Fishel is reflecting on the early days of her son's life. Danielle and husband Jensen Karp welcomed their son, Adler, on June 24, 2019. Despite having a normal pregnancy, Danielle went into labor a month early. They tried to suppress labor, but after discovering there was fluid in Adler's lungs, they had no choice but to deliver early. Danielle recently described their son's harrowing NICU stay.
Later, doctors determined Adler was born with a congenital condition called chylothorax. The lymphatic fluids seep between the lungs and the wall of the chest. It led to two separate stays in the NICU. Danielle opened up about what that experience was like as a new mother.
Danielle gave a speech at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles during the fifth annual Make March Matter fundraising campaign on Monday. There, she spoke about the bond she's had with other NICU parents. She also opened up about the incredible support she received from doctors, nurses, and staff during Adler's time there.
Danielle Fishel is opening up about the difficult first weeks of her son's life. Danielle and her husband, Jensen Karp, welcomed their son, Adler Lawrence Karp, on June 24, 2019. Adler was born with chylothorax, a congenital condition where lymphatic fluids seep between the lungs and the wall of the chest.
Danielle has been very open about what the experience was like for her and Jensen. She often sings the praises of the medical team that got Adler in good enough shape to be sent home. That's why she was more than happy to appear at Children's Hospital Los Angeles to speak at the Make March Matter fundraiser.
"I’m already emotional," the actress said at the beginning of her speech. Danielle described an "uneventful pregnancy" before she went into premature labor.
"The night I went into labor, my OB-GYN performed an ultrasound and noticed there was fluid around Adler’s lungs," she said. "We were absolutely shocked."
Danielle remembers being "terrified, overwhelmed, and utterly exhausted" when they arrived at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. She recalled all the doctors and nurses who helped her through delivery and while Adler got settled in the NICU. They added a homemade sign with his name on it, "so it felt more like a nursery and less like a hospital."
As much as they were there to support Adler, they also were endlessly supportive of Danielle and Jensen. "This hospital is important to me because my son spent 12 days here shortly after he was born in the NICU, and the doctors and nurses took such incredible care of him," she shared. "But they not only took care of him, they took care of my husband and I."
They "encouraged us to step outside and get fresh air, at least every once in a while, and realize that there was life outside of this and that someday, Adler would be in that life outside this hospital with us," she noted.
"You know, we were emotional, we were confused, we were exhausted, we were sleeping on that tiny little bed in his room and they made sure that we felt like we had advocates, that we had answers to our questions," she recalled. "They encouraged us to learn as much as we could and ask as much as we could.
Those same nurses who took care of Adler are still in the family's life, Danielle told Entertainment Tonight. "They come to his little get-togethers," she said. "They will hopefully be there at his first birthday party."
In a conversation following the event, she spoke further with Today about how she feels bonded with other NICU parents.
"You never fully leave the NICU, you leave a part of you behind," she explained. "So any time I meet another NICU parent, I just feel like, we connect on a level that you just don’t with other people. You just can’t fully imagine what it’s like to have a kid that needs that kind of care until you’ve experienced it."
Danielle and Jensen stayed in touch with other families they met during Adler's time in the NICU. Still, she is endlessly grateful for their support.
"It’s a club you never want to join, but if you find yourself in it, it is one of the most compassionate clubs that you’ll ever be a part of," she said.
Danielle was happy to give back at the event, where Natalie Portman was also a speaker. She feels like she's paying it forward after Adler received such wonderful care.
"It just felt like the most minor of ways I could possibly give back to a hospital that gave so much to my family, and I hope we never end up here again but if we do, I’ll look forward to it, because I know that means Adler is getting the best possible care," Danielle noted.
As for Adler, he's doing great. He's now 8 months old. Danielle describes her little boy as "an absolute joy."
"He weighs 18 pounds, has three teeth … and he laughs constantly," she gushed about her sweet son.
In a chat with Us Weekly, Danielle revealed even more of Adler's recent milestones. "He is sleeping like a champ," the proud mom noted. "He is sleeping like a champ. He’s eating solids very well. He laughs constantly. He’s got his second upper tooth coming through the skin as we speak, but he doesn’t seem to be in too much pain. He’s doing great."
Danielle thinks it won't be long until her little guy is on the move. "He’s scooting basically," she explained. "He’s kind of doing an army crawl. I’m trying to work on getting the knees under him [to] see if he can lift himself up."
Adler has been cleared of all fluid. He has low bone density, however, something that Danielle and Adler will have to keep an eye on as he starts to crawl and walk. It'll surely be no problem for the super parents who have already given so much to make sure their son has the best care.
