The Madden family: 14-month old Elie, left, with her dad Eddie, mom Esit and twin sister Emie. Photo courtesy Madden familyBy Pat Tarantino, Reporter Staff
After nearly a year-and-a-half spent in hospitals, operating rooms, and recovery units, a Dublin family's lengthy struggle to secure a healthy future for their ailing daughter may finally come to a happy end here in Boston.

Fourteen-month-old Elie Madden was born weighing less than four pounds and suffering from esophageal atresia - a rare disorder in which her esophagus is too short to reach her stomach - and has spent much of her young life dependant on machinery to keep her fed and breathing.

But thanks to a tireless fundraising campaign by parents Eddie and Esti and an outpouring of support in Ireland, Elie is now at Boston's Children's Hospital where she is currently receiving treatment that could give her a chance at a normal, healthy childhood.

Etsi, Elie, and her twin sister Emie flew to Boston in November after learning that Children's Hospital doctors John Foker and Russell Jennings had developed a procedure tailor-made to help small children with their daughter's condition. The family was recently joined by dad Eddie just in time for Christmas, marking the second year in a row the family has spent the holiday in a hospital room.

"If somebody put a crystal ball in front of us two years ago, I don't think any of us would have expected to see ourselves here today," said Eddie, 41, who spoke to the Reporter on Friday at the hospital in Boston’s Longwood section. "This was the one place where we could have this procedure done for Elie. Anything else would have condemned her to a life of procedures."

Since their arrival, Elie has undergone four operations to gradually lengthen her esophagus using a series of sutures. On Monday morning, she awoke from a month-long induced coma. While the family says Elie is in good spirits, they are still unsure how long they may have to stay in Boston while doctors work to repair the girl's voice box and prevent future heart complications associated with her low birth weight.

Etsi said that although the family will be on edge until they are certain Elie has made a full recovery, getting this far is a testament to the generosity of others.

"It took us five months to organize this trip to Boston," Etsi said. "It really is an achievement just to be here. Just being here is the biggest miracle we could hope for."

Since Elie's birth, the Madden family has worked without pause to bring awareness to their daughter's condition through "Operation Elie," netting countless headlines in Ireland and raising nearly (euro)30,000 to cover travel and living expenses to ensure the family can stay at Elie's side as she undergoes treatment and provide basic needs like a crib and high chair for their other daughter while they stay in Boston.

Eddie said the outpouring of support has been "massive," recalling that their fundraising site was hit with thousands of page views just minutes after its launch and the flow of donations was so steady that it exceeded the daily limits set by Pay Pal during the first days of the campaign.

Despite their efforts, Eddie said doctors are still unsure of how long Elie will need to remain in the hospital and the family has struggled to find support in the U.S.

"We've got a great response from people," Eddie said. "But because we don't know many people here and we don't know how long we will have to be here, there are still some uncertainties about Elie's recovery."

Regardless of the challenges the Maddens face, they remain resolute that their daughter will return home and start a life free of complications that they once thought would be impossible to attain.

"She's just the happiest baby out there," Eddie said. "We just want to make sure she has every opportunity to live a full and happy life.

For more information or to donate, visit eliemadden.com. For updates on Elie's condition, visit their Facebook page "Operation Elie"