Premature Dungee Twins Thrive Following Inguinal Hernia Repair at CHRISTUS Children’s
After multiple failed attempts to get pregnant, Fatima and Denair Dungee of San Antonio, Texas, turned to IVF. Their first embryo transfer brought them their 2-year-old daughter, Jax. When the 37-year-old couple was ready for more, a second transfer using frozen embryos resulted in a jackpot: twins.
Emry and Enzo arrived prematurely on March 13, 2025, at just 26 weeks and one day after pregnancy complications led to Fatima's early induction and an emergency Cesarean section. Weighing only 1 pound 9 ounces and 1 pound 8 ounces, the twins spent 91 days fighting in the hospital NICU near their home. Tiny but thriving, the fraternal twins were finally discharged on June 12. Back home with their big sister, Jax, life was happily chaotic. Fatima wouldn't have had it any other way: her family, she said, was complete.
Something Wasn’t Right with Enzo
In July, just a month after the twins' discharge, Fatima discovered a pronounced bulge, about the size of a ping pong ball, in his pelvic area.
“The bulge seemed to come out of nowhere. Just a few hours earlier, during his middle-of-the-night change, there was nothing there,” she recalled.
Worried, she packed up all three children and headed to the CHRISTUS Children’s Emergency Center at Westover Hills. Doctors quickly suspected an inguinal hernia, a condition where part of the intestine pushes through a weak spot in the abdominal wall.
Fatima immediately called her husband and arranged to meet him at CHRISTUS Children’s Hospital where Enzo would undergo surgery.
Upon arrival they met pediatric surgeon Dr. Katherine Barsness, who explained Enzo’s condition and surgical plan. “The way she explained everything was so thorough. She broke down the entire process, from how long the surgery was going to take to how Enzo would feel after. She asked if I had questions, but I really didn’t because she covered everything!” Fatima said.
Exactly one month after leaving the NICU, Enzo underwent successful hernia surgery on July 12. He stayed just one night in the hospital and was discharged the very next day.
“Dr. Barsness was amazing,” Fatima shared. “She was super nice, took her time and explained everything. She even told me that when I bring Enzo in for his follow-up visit, she would examine Emry.”
At Enzo’s follow-up visit, Dr. Barsness also examined Emry and confirmed that he, too, had a hernia. Emry’s surgery was promptly scheduled for August 1. Both minimally invasive procedures were performed laparoscopically, using small incisions and sutures to repair the hernias. The boys recovered quickly and without complications.
“It was a privilege and honor to participate in the care of Enzo and Emry,” said Dr. Barsness. “ They are beautiful little boys and are sure to thrive with such loving and caring parents.”
Life After Inguinal Hernia Repair
Today, Emry and Enzo are smiling, cooing and hitting milestones for their adjusted age. Fatima says, “she is filled with hope for her sons’ futures.”
“I hope they meet their milestones and that everything goes in the right direction—that they’re happy and healthy,” she said. “I’m so thankful to CHRISTUS Children’s for giving us such amazing care during such a stressful time. I feel very fortunate to live near a hospital where the care is of the highest quality. Everyone at CHRISTUS Children’s made me feel so confident about the care my babies received.”