A mother’s love is like no other. But being told your child will be born with a rare and serious medical condition can be overwhelming. Especially when there’s no cure, and only means to cope. And when you’ve been blessed previously with a perfectly healthy son, you never expect you’ll be faced with bad news.
But that’s what Monica Merritt received at her 20-week scan, as reported by The Sun.
The midwife informed the family that their child appeared to have kidney issues. They were ordered to have an additional scan.
At 34 weeks that second scan clearly showed the child’s disproportionate limbs and head. The head was too big and the limbs were too short for any healthy child. Something was wrong.
After a trip to London for more examinations, the family was told their son had achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism.
Children with achondroplasia generally don’t grow taller than 4 feet 10 inches because they have shortened bones. The news was not one that Monica was expecting or could easily cope with.
But watching a video from a family dealing with the same thing reassured her. She realized that her son may be short, but that the diagnosis wouldn’t change his charm or his character. That said, she also knew that achondroplasia would bring many complications into her child’s life.
Complications did come, within the very first weeks after birth. Her son dropped one pound, 3 ounces in 4 weeks. He was readmitted to the hospital. Then at 5 weeks his lungs collapsed due to a respiratory virus. He almost died. But the little boy is a fighter, and he overcame those challenges. Now he pushes through 2-3 operations every year, growing stronger with each one, and he’s learning how to function in his small frame.
The family has realized that their son’s diagnosis does not define him. He is a beautiful, healthy boy, and they’re confident he will thrive despite achondroplasia.
Read more about this family’s story on The Sun by clicking here!
