Baby Cassian was diagnosed during pregnancy with a dangerous condition that threatened his ability to breathe after birth. Doctors in Florida discovered a mass near his airway during a routine scan, and the situation required an urgent and highly complex plan.
At 25 weeks of pregnancy, a team of specialists performed a rare procedure. The baby was partially delivered through the mother’s abdomen while still connected to the placenta, allowing oxygen to continue flowing during the operation.
Doctors worked carefully to secure his airway outside the womb. The medical team included fetal surgeons, anesthesiologists, neonatologists, and pediatric experts who coordinated every step of the procedure.
After stabilizing the condition, Cassian was placed back into the womb so the pregnancy could continue safely. Weeks later, he was fully delivered closer to full term under close medical supervision.
Doctors said this approach significantly improved his chances of survival and reduced serious complications that could have occurred during a standard delivery. The case became widely discussed because of how rare and advanced the procedure was in modern fetal medicine.
Today
Baby Cassian Joubert is doing well, thriving at home, and is described by his mother as a “happy, smiley, and inquisitive baby boy”. His family is currently preparing to celebrate his first birthday with two separate parties: one marking the anniversary of the groundbreaking surgery that saved his life, and another for his actual day of birth
Medical Status & Ongoing Recovery
While Cassian is making incredible strides, he is not entirely out of the woods and continues to receive active medical care:
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- Respiratory Support: He currently relies on a ventilator and a tracheostomy tube to assist his breathing. His medical team is in the gradual process of weaning him off this respiratory support.
- Future Surgeries: He faces at least two more upcoming procedures designed to clear the thick, remaining membrane blocking his trachea so that his breathing tube can eventually be removed completely.
- Feeding: He continues to utilize a feeding tube as he grows and strengthens.
The Medical Miracle Explained
Cassian was diagnosed in utero with Congenital High Airway Obstruction Syndrome (CHAOS), a rare condition where a blocked airway traps fluid in the lungs, putting fatal pressure on the heart.
To save him, Dr. Emanuel Vlastos at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital performed a highly unusual operation:
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- The First “Birth” (25 Weeks): Doctors partially delivered Cassian from the shoulders up via C-section. While he was still attached to the placenta for oxygen, surgeons installed a catheter to drain his lungs and establish an airway.
- Return to the Womb: He was placed back inside the uterus, the incision was closed, and he continued growing for another six weeks.
- The Second Birth (31 Weeks): In August 2025, Keishera’s water broke. Doctors performed a specialized EXIT procedure to place a formal tracheostomy before he took his first breath.
After spending 132 days in the NICU, Cassian was discharged just in time for Christmas to live at home full-time with his parents, Keishera and Greg. His miraculous case is considered a historical success and will be presented at an international medical conference in Japan.
