Meet the Gomez del Campo Pruner Family
When the Gomez del Campo Pruner family began their journey to parenthood, they dreamed of bringing home the family they had long hoped for. Instead, they faced years of infertility, IVF treatments, and experimental procedures before ultimately turning to surrogacy after a difficult road to building their family.
Their first pregnancy journey with their surrogate had been textbook, with everything progressing as hoped. However, during the 20-week anatomy scan, they received devastating news: Daniela no longer had a heartbeat. After more than two days in labor, Daniela was delivered with her umbilical cord wrapped twice around her neck, a rare complication at that stage of pregnancy. They later learned there was no technology or intervention that could have changed the outcome.
Less than a year after losing Daniela, they became pregnant with “Cuki.” Still carrying the heartbreak of their loss, Carlos and Dagney waited until after the 20-week anatomy scan to share the news with loved ones. Just three days later, they received a 3:00 a.m. phone call from their surrogate. She was in the emergency room, and her water had broken at only 22 weeks gestation, just two weeks further than Daniela had made it in utero.
When they arrived at the hospital, they learned their surrogate had developed a fever following the premature rupture of membranes (PROM), raising fears of septic shock. Thankfully, her fever eventually broke, and the goal shifted: keep the pregnancy intact for as long as possible and give Cuki every extra day to grow.
For the next 10 days, they lived in a constant state of hope and uncertainty. Then, after a full day in labor, Cuki was born at 3:00 a.m. on December 13, weighing just 1 pound, 2.7 ounces. The medical team quickly placed him on a high-frequency jet ventilator while caring for their surrogate and monitoring for infection.
For the next 120+ days, Carlos and Dagney’s mantra became simple: advocate for Cuki in every way possible to set him up for success in the NICU and beyond. Along the way, Cuki faced respiratory complications, emergency surgeries, feeding difficulties, and ongoing developmental concerns that still require specialized therapies and care today.
Despite every obstacle placed in his path, Cuki continued to demonstrate remarkable strength and resilience.
Before Cuki’s first birthday, the Gomez del Campo Pruner family made the decision to share their story as an Ambassador Family in support of March of Dimes. Their hope is to serve, advocate, and raise funds so that other families might avoid some of the hardships they experienced. By supporting research, innovation, and advancements in care, they hope to help create a future where more babies have the chance not only to survive, but to thrive.
