Cory Wharton Says His 'Worst Nightmare Became a Reality' as He Shares New Details About Daughter Maya's Hospitalization

Hannah SacksMon, April 13, 2026 at 5:56 PM UTC

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Cory Wharton with his daughter MayaCredit: Cory Wharton/Instagram -

Cory Wharton shared emotional details about his 3-year-old daughter Maya's 18-day hospitalization and life-flight to Texas

Maya, born with a congenital heart defect, has undergone multiple surgeries and faced complications with her heart and lungs

Wharton praised his ex Taylor Selfridge for her strength during the ordeal and thanked the medical team for their care

Cory Wharton is sharing new details about his daughter Maya's recent hospitalization.

The Teen Mom alum, 35, posted a series of photos on his Instagram on Monday, April 13, after his ex Taylor Selfridge, 31, shared that their 3-year-old daughter Maya had recently been hospitalized for 18 days.

In the photos, Wharton could be seen kissing his daughter as she was lying in her hospital bed. He also included photos of her being life-flighted to Texas, where she received care, as well as selfies of the two of them.

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"My Worst Nightmare became a reality…Being halfway across the globe 🌍 and getting a phone call saying your daughter is getting Air Vac 🚁 to Cooks Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. Is any parent’s worst nightmare," Wharton wrote in his caption.

"Watching my daughter fight through this has been the hardest thing I’ve ever faced. These days tested everything in me," he continued. "Fear, pain, uncertainty… all of it. But through it all, Maya never stopped being strong. She reminded me what courage really looks like. I’ll carry this forever. I’ve never been more proud to be her dad."

He went on to say that he felt a sense of "helplessness" watching his daughter struggle through her hospitalization and that putting his trust in doctors and nurses to heal Maya was a "scary situation."

"For Maya, this isn’t her first time in the hospital. She’s already faced two open-heart surgeries, and now we’re here again—this time fighting for two of her most vital organs, her lungs 🫁 and her heart 🫀," Wharton explained. "I’ll be going in to more detail soon."

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The toddler was born in June 2022 with tricuspid atresia, a congenital heart defect. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it occurs when the tricuspid valve in the heart fails to form, necessitating surgery and other procedures.

The dad of three went on to praise Selfridge, calling her a great "role model for my girls."

"The way that she handled herself & handled the situation when I wasn’t there, I give her all the credit in the world," said Wharton. "Also, I want to say thank you to all the nurses and doctors at Cook’s Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas.""It’s a ALOT [sic] to unpack here. I’m just happy that we got released from the hospital and got back to California safely," he continued. "Again my message for years has been this, HEALTH IS WEALTH & as long as you’re healthy you’re the richest man or woman in the world! ❤️✊🏽."

Last week, Selfridge shared that Maya was on her way home after being "life-flighted" to a Texas hospital. She first shared a few photos of Maya leaving the hospital, which included her first stop, which was at the Rainforest Cafe. She then responded to one of her followers who shared that she was excited Maya and Selfridge were able to head home.

"But a lot of people are saying, ‘Oh, she got sick.’ That’s not even it. That’s not even it, so. That’s not even what happened," said Selfridge. "But yes, I will sit down eventually and tell the story. But it was way worse… the surgeries are hard, do not get me wrong. They are so hard to go through."

"It was so difficult, you have no idea. So one day, when I get home, I will tell this story."

Selfridge also shares daughter Mila Mae with Wharton, who is also dad to daughter Ryder, whom he welcomed with ex Cheyenne Floyd.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”