W. Va. Boy Gets Second Chance At Children's Hospital

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Ryeland Campbell entered the world with severe respiratory failure. He was life-flighted from West Virginia to Children's Hospital, while his parents made the four-hour trip by car.

"It was kind of like a whirlwind of panic and emotions," his mother Tiffany Campbell.

Ryeland was placed on a heartlung bypass machine. His breathing improved.

"It's just so exciting that he's starting to eat by himself," his mother said.

Dr. Beverly Brozanski says the boy has a condition affecting hormone balance and optic nerves.

"It's very rare," she said. "But there's a wide spectrum of anomalies and we caught his rather early. So he's being treated with severe hormones and it will be something that will affect him for the rest of his life."

His vision will be affected, though the full extend won't be known until later.

Ryeland's mom knows exactly what to do. His older sister has a variant of the same condition.

Addison, who is 18 months old, does have vision, but it's limited.

Ryeland's mother learns how to administer his daily medication.

"It's sad," she said. "You don't want your children to struggle, but it makes you stronger as a parent to know that it's OK. They're normal for them. Their condition doesn't make them bad."

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