American Joni Reikenmayer and her husband Chris Skyne experienced a real shock. At 19 weeks pregnant, Joni learned that her baby was in danger of becoming disabled due to a serious pathology of the spine. Future parents had two options for the development of events: either leave everything as it is, or agree to an operation that is dangerous for the child. They chose the second one, and it led to unexpected consequences.
Before Joni and Chris learned the terrible news, they were planning a party about revealing the sex of the unborn baby. Such events are very popular in the USA. After the holiday, the future parents went to the doctor to do an ultrasound. They were sure that their baby was completely healthy.
However, at the doctor’s appointment, the unexpected happened . The doctor told the couple the terrible news – a pathology of the spine was found in the child, due to which the baby’s brain and spinal cord were affected.
Due to the splitting of the vertebrae, the child developed a “cerebral herniation” (a part of the brain that protrudes outwards and is filled with fluid). This pathology leads to complete paralysis of the legs, dysfunction of the intestines, kidneys and bladder.
Parents did not want to believe in a terrible diagnosis and turned to other clinics. But even there, doctors confirmed the presence of a dangerous pathology in the crumbs. It was necessary to urgently make a decision on which the fate of the child depended.
Joni and Chris did not think long – they agreed to a complex operation. The doctors had to remove the child from the woman’s womb, remove the hernia, pump out excess fluid from the brain and spinal cord, and then eliminate the defect in the development of the spine. After these events, the 19-week-old baby had to be placed back in the womb.
The main risk was that the woman was 80% likely to have a preterm birth. Plus, the surgeons had not previously performed such operations in their clinic, so they did not have enough experience. Despite all the risks, the operation took place.
There were 32 specialists in the operating room! The baby, who weighed only 500 grams, had all pathologies removed and placed back in the womb. Shortly thereafter, the expectant mother had contractions, which the doctors successfully stopped. The child re-“take root” in the womb and continued development.
The baby was born a second time by caesarean section. Childbirth happened 10 weeks after a complex operation. All this time, his mother, Joni, was forced to lie in only one position – on her back. But for the sake of her beloved baby, Joni was ready to endure more than that.