Teen reunites with UCSF surgeon who saved him as a fetus, 18 years later

""I'm actually glad I got to meet you after all these years. It is shocking. All this happened when I was born. I couldn't remember anything. Now, I'm grateful that I'm here standing," said Ellinger."

""It's a very complex disease called congenital diaphragmatic hernia," said Dr. Lee, Surgeon in Chief at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital."

""Not only do we have risk to the to the fetus baby, but the mom undergoes risks," said Dr. Lee. "We put a balloon into the trachea. We do it through a tiny little scope.""

Mason Ellinger, who was diagnosed with congenital diaphragmatic hernia while still in the womb, reunited with Dr. Hanmin Lee, the surgeon who performed a life-saving procedure. Mason's parents were initially told he would not survive, but a UCSF trainee informed them of the hospital's expertise. The complex procedure involved placing a balloon in Mason's trachea to help his lungs grow. The reunion was emotional for the family, reflecting on the challenges they faced during that difficult time.

Read at ABC7 San Francisco