The Story of Baby "Faith", Born Without a Brain

[holy king]

http://babyfaithhope.blogspot.com/

Welcome!
Thank you for being here and for all your thoughts and prayers...

My name is Myah. I'm 23 years old and a single mom to a very special little girl.

When I was 19 weeks pregnant, I was told that my baby had no brain. This condition is known as "anencephaly." I was told that my baby was only alive because she was attached to me, but that she couldn't survive on her own. The doctor said that I could continue the pregnancy safely, but that my baby would die shortly after being born. Or I could choose to terminate the pregnancy then, which would mean being induced at 20 weeks and letting my baby die without ever seeing or holding her (I don't even want to know what they do with babies in this case). Well, to some people this would be a difficult decision, but it wasn't for me. I knew there was nothing to gain by terminating the pregnancy and I already loved my daughter more than anyone else in the world. Even if she was unconscious like the doctors said and lived for only a few seconds or minutes --even if she was stillborn --it was worth it to me. And so we began our journey...

Today, as I type this, Faith is 20 days old. Apart from a sterile dressing on her head that needs to be changed once a day, Faith lives a completely normal life. She isn't suffering or sickly, like you would expect. With no tubes and no machines supporting her life, she continues to thrive. She seems to function at the same level as any "normal" baby. In fact, she may be a little more advanced for her age. How many babies smile before they are born, start cooeing at one day old, and can sit up by 5 days old? I'm just saying!

I hope that by sharing our story, we can shed some light on this condition they call "anencephaly." It may seem all doom and gloom if you get this diagnosis, but trust me... there is more hope and joy in store than you could ever imagine. I know that first-hand! You can read all the text books and medical journals you want, but the truth is revealed in babies like Faith. This is real life, not a text book. When you see the pictures and watch the videos, you can't deny that this life is precious and worth protecting.

Myah
(Faith's mom)

She is still blinking them but it's as if the inside of her top eyelids are falling out. The right eyelid needs to be "stuffed" back under and held closed but I managed to prevent the left eyelid from drooping out. As soon as I saw it start to swell up I taped it closed and you know what... it sounds crazy and looks odd but it actually worked. So now that the swelling is down the left eye still looks normal on the outside, but she has little eyepatches (well, non-stick pads that we tape over them) on both eyes just to keep them from getting any worse, and obviously to hold everything in on her right eye.

Six months ago today my baby girl was born. Three months ago we got to celebrate Faith's 3-month birthday with her. God blessed us with so much time with her and yet it's never enough. I miss my favourite girl everyday. Wishing my sweetie a happy 6-month birthday with Jesus )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anencephaly

A baby born with anencephaly is usually blind, deaf, unconscious, and unable to feel pain. Although some individuals with anencephaly may be born with a main brain stem, the lack of a functioning cerebrum permanently rules out the possibility of ever gaining consciousness. Reflex actions such as breathing and responses to sound or touch occur.[2]

what do you think about the doctors who let this happen?

 

[The Imp]

http://babyfaithhope.blogspot.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anencephaly






what do you think about the doctors who let this happen?

Huh, is the doctor supposed to force her to get an abortion? I don't think a doctor can force abort a baby without the consent of the patient, or if incapacitated, the next of kin. I guess it would be possible if she was incapacitated and no family was available and she would die without the abortion... but my point still stands.

 

[Masada]

what do you think about the doctors who let this happen?

It has nothing much to do with them, except in the most tangential professional sense.

 

[holy king]

Huh, is the doctor supposed to force her to get an abortion?

no. but is he supposed to keep this alive?

 

[The Imp]

Anyway... I feel terrible for the mother, it must be hard to lose a child.

 

[Bill3000]

no. but is he supposed to keep this alive?

Hey, she's paying for it.

 

[Kyriakos]

Not easy to imagine what the mother felt, afterall she was still her child.
However i think that it was best that the baby died so soon, since i do not view it as a human. Without a brain you are not human, i think almost all would agree.

 

[Arwon]

Horrifying stuff all round.

 

[holy king]

However i think that it was best that the baby died so soon,

they usually die within hours, in rare cases days after birth if they arent stillborn in the first place.

this case is extremely unusual and without modern medicine at work would not have happened.

 

[GenMarshall]

The child has no hope. Without that part of the brain, the child is esentally a vegtable.

 

[Bill3000]

Isn't this adorable.

She is still blinking them but it's as if the inside of her top eyelids are falling out. The right eyelid needs to be "stuffed" back under and held closed but I managed to prevent the left eyelid from drooping out. As soon as I saw it start to swell up I taped it closed and you know what... it sounds crazy and looks odd but it actually worked. So now that the swelling is down the left eye still looks normal on the outside, but she has little eyepatches (well, non-stick pads that we tape over them) on both eyes just to keep them from getting any worse, and obviously to hold everything in on her right eye.

 

[Aleenik]

Are those pictures at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anencephaly real?

 

[holy king]

yes, they are.

 

[Aleenik]

yes, they are.

Even if they are real, the pictures... idk, they look different I guess I would say.

 

[Munch]

Wow, what a crappy hand this woman was dealt. Personally I would have destroyed the child a long time ago. Praise the Lord!

 

[Shekwan]

Probably shouldn't have let it be born - but with that said its ultimately her decision and like Bill said she's paying for the care so let her do what she wants.

 

[holy king]

should doctors do everything they can get paid for?

 

[Mr. Dictator]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_K

 

[Greizer85]

Almost like the "Harlequin ichthyosis" syndrome(do not look for pictures of this )

You do know that when you say this, people will do exactly that? Us humans are too curious for our own good sometimes.

As for the case, well, we don't have free will anyways, so the doctors had no real choice.
[Please don't start a debate on this here; it's an "inside joke" from another thread]

 

[aelf]

I think this is the bit that deserves attention.

I hope that by sharing our story, we can shed some light on this condition they call "anencephaly." It may seem all doom and gloom if you get this diagnosis, but trust me... there is more hope and joy in store than you could ever imagine. I know that first-hand! You can read all the text books and medical journals you want, but the truth is revealed in babies like Faith. This is real life, not a text book. When you see the pictures and watch the videos, you can't deny that this life is precious and worth protecting.

"You know, you shouldn't listen to all the science stuff. After all, my baby is alive even though she can't ever be conscious. Obviously, the doctors are wrong. God is great!"