LS ‘Tiny Fighter, Big Hope: Baby Landry Cummins and the Promise of a Brighter Year’ LS

 It is going to be a great 2026 for Landry Cummins of Pelham, Alabama, and no one believes that more deeply than his parents, Cody and Macie.

They speak without hesitation about how brave their baby boy has already been, and how much strength he has shown in just a few short months of life. They talk about sleepless nights, fear-filled moments, and the quiet courage it takes to watch your newborn fight a battle you never expected. Above all, they speak with pride—pride in Landry, and pride in how far he has come since his major surgery on December 23, 2025.

For this family, hope did not come easily. But when it arrived, it came with purpose.

Landry was born on August 23, 2025, at 37 weeks—earlier than expected and much bigger than anyone anticipated. Weighing 9 pounds, 13 ounces, he was a remarkably large baby for his gestational age. What initially seemed surprising soon revealed a deeper medical cause.

Doctors diagnosed Landry with Congenital Hyperinsulinism caused by a GCK mutation, a rare condition that would shape the very first chapter of his life. From the beginning, his body was working against itself. The condition caused his pancreas to overproduce insulin, leading to dangerously low blood sugar levels.

Macie quickly learned what that diagnosis truly meant. At one terrifying point, Landry’s blood sugar dropped to just 8—a critically low number that placed his organs at serious risk. Every reading brought anxiety. Every fluctuation carried fear. Stability felt fragile, and vigilance became a way of life.

Yet within that fear, there was also something unexpected: experience.

Years earlier, Landry’s father, Cody, had been diagnosed with the same condition. Cody underwent surgery to remove his pancreas and, today—at just 24 years old—is thriving. That history didn’t erase the fear for their son, but it gave the family something invaluable: perspective. Trust in treatment. And a living example of what survival could look like.

As the months passed, Landry continued to grow at an astonishing rate. At just five months old, he weighed 28 pounds, still very much a “big baby” in every sense. But size alone didn’t tell the full story. Managing his blood sugar required constant medical support, careful feeding, and relentless monitoring. Every decision felt high-stakes. Eventually, surgery became unavoidable.

On December 23, 2025, Landry underwent a life-changing procedure at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Surgeons removed 99 percent of his pancreas and placed a G-tube—steps taken to give him the best chance at long-term stability.

For Cody and Macie, the hours of surgery felt endless. Hope was tightly wrapped around fear as they waited, knowing how much depended on that day.

When the surgery ended, relief came slowly—then all at once.

Macie later shared an update filled with joy and disbelief. The procedure had gone beautifully. Landry transitioned to full feeds and no longer required dextrose, glucagon, or insulin to maintain safe blood sugar levels. His readings began ranging between 120 and 170, numbers that represented stability they had only hoped for. Plans were made to remove his PICC line—another milestone signaling progress instead of crisis.

Beyond the numbers, the changes in Landry himself were impossible to miss. He began losing a bit of weight, a healthy sign that his body was adjusting. More importantly, he became noticeably more alert and active, engaging with the world around him in ways he hadn’t before.

For the first time in months, his parents could breathe.

Landry remains at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as he continues to recover, but his trajectory is unmistakably positive. Macie has shared her hope that he will soon move to a step-down unit—one more step closer to home and to normalcy. The fear that once dominated their days is slowly giving way to confidence. Each small victory feels monumental.

For Cody and Macie, 2026 represents more than a new year. It represents healing, growth, and the promise of watching their son thrive beyond survival.

Landry’s journey is still unfolding, but the hardest chapter is behind him. His story is one of resilience passed from father to son, of modern medicine meeting human strength, and of parents who never stopped believing.

A great year lies ahead for Landry Cummins—and for a family who fought tirelessly to get him there.