The Doctors Couldn’t Stop Crying When They Saw This Baby Being Born
Hello and welcome to Everyday Stories. Nothing brings more joy to a family than the birth of a child. The new parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles are filled with joy and excitement at the thought of welcoming the newest member of their family into the world. Having a baby or bringing a new life into the world is an amazing and wonderful thing.
The birth of a child is one of life’s most beautiful experiences, even if it is associated with some obstacles. Every time a woman thinks back to the ordeal of childbirth and remembers how difficult it was, she feels a sense of accomplishment. Although they rarely think back on these experiences, they cherish them and remember them fondly.
If you have ever refused to abort your unborn child against your doctor’s advice, even though you knew it would be born with a genetic anomaly, then you understand better than most people what unconditional love is. Having a child with complicated health problems means more doctor and hospital visits than you can imagine.
Through exchanging experiences with other parents of children with disabilities or genetic anomalies, parents learn that it is possible to lead a relatively normal life, even if their children require frequent and special care. Having children, whether with or without disabilities, often helps one stay grounded in a healthy and positive way, and that is a wonderful thing.
Furthermore, one matures in a way that doesn’t seem to happen to people without children. When they reach retirement age, their children are in their prime and may even be starting their own families. At that time, they will feel like a constant companion of life and not left behind by the tide. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to our channel and click the notification bell to be inspired every day by these true-life stories.
Now back to the story: He was born with a tumor one and a half times the size of his body, but he survived after his parents refused to abort him, and his family was overjoyed. When they learned they were expecting their second child—a new member of the family and a little brother or sister for their son, Ryder—the couple was soon offered an abortion after a series of lab tests revealed that the baby would be born with a tumor one and a half times its own size.
The couple tried to think of a situation in the earlier weeks of the pregnancy that could have caused the tumor. It wasn’t until the routine check-up in the twentieth week of pregnancy that the tumor was discovered. Mai and Matt learned that a mass was growing from their baby’s tailbone. Due to the rarity of the growth, the doctors weren’t sure what it was, but suspected it might be spina bifida, a birth defect in babies that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don’t fully develop.
The doctors decided to conduct a comprehensive examination to find out what the growth actually was. Two days later, Mai and Matt learned that their baby had a tailbone tumor, a type of tumor that develops at the base of the spine. Since the doctors’ information was insufficient to answer their questions, they began to research this disease.
Mai was immediately referred to a high-risk pregnancy team that would closely monitor her during the remaining weeks of her pregnancy. More and more ultrasound examinations revealed that the baby had a type 2 tumor, mostly external but also partly internal. In the 20th week, the couple was informed of the high probability of a stillbirth and therefore recommended an abortion.
When an MRI of the fetus showed that the tumor had not affected any vital organs of the baby and there was at least a chance that the baby would be born healthy, they decided to continue the pregnancy. To stay informed about the tumor’s growth, they had to undergo at least two ultrasound examinations per week.
Until the 26th week, everything seemed to be under control. Then it was discovered that the baby had developed anemia. This was not surprising to the doctors; they had anticipated such a situation. Although located outside the uterus, the tumor caused dilation of the baby’s blood vessels, resulting in a loss of blood supply from the mother.
In the 28th week, the couple was transferred to a specialized hospital in North Rhine-Westphalia, where they were monitored even more intensively with three examinations per week. On July 8th, their daughter was born via cesarean section. Unsurprisingly, the newborn weighed just 0.99 kilograms, dwarfed by the tumor at 1.47 kilograms.
Not long after the birth, about three days later, the tiny baby underwent an intensive six-hour operation to remove the tumor. During the procedure, she was resuscitated several times and received five blood transfusions. After the successful operation, she was transferred to a neonatal intensive care unit for about ten days.
After 57 days in the specialized clinic, she was discharged and allowed to return home five months later. The tumor was benign, so she did not suffer any long-term damage to her organs. She was already thriving, even though she couldn’t walk or crawl yet. The doctors had instructed the parents not to Google anything when they discovered the lump so they wouldn’t be intimidated by false online articles.
“Nevertheless, my husband and I searched the internet for more information about our baby’s fate,” the mother shared. “During those two days, I just kept thinking, ‘Did this happen because I didn’t take my pregnancy vitamins every day or eat healthily enough?’ I was so afraid that our baby wouldn’t be able to walk or would be in severe pain. My husband and I were very sad when we received the diagnosis. Even the doctor who called us didn’t have much information.”
“When we were in the room and the doctors asked via Skype how bad the SCT (Sacrococcygeal Teratoma) was, they seemed concerned about its size, but they were glad that it wasn’t affecting any of her organs at that point. When they offered us an abortion, we both talked about continuing the pregnancy if she wouldn’t experience any pain in her life.”
“When I did my own research, it was extremely difficult to find information about SCT. I found out most of the basic things that the first person had already informed us about. I found out that females are more frequently affected than males and that doctors often remove bone fragments to prevent the tumor from growing back. There are solid and cystic parts, and the outcome is worse the more solid the tumor is. Seventy-five percent are benign, and only twelve percent are cancerous.”
“I also tried to find out if I could eat certain foods to shrink the tumor or stop its growth. I went on a diet to see if it had a positive effect, knowing that I needed certain things to maintain her health and my own. Among other things, I started drinking hot water with freshly squeezed lemon juice in the mornings. However, I couldn’t apply most of the information I found about how to shrink tumors because you shouldn’t eat those things during pregnancy, or only in large quantities. In any case, I felt that I had to do everything in my power to prevent the tumor from getting any bigger.”
“I was definitely a bit depressed about it. You want to be healthy and let your baby grow up big and healthy, but I didn’t want this other thing to grow anymore. What helped me the most was contact with other women who were pregnant or had already had their SCT babies. They answered so many questions and helped me learn what to expect when I had her.”
“Another thing I found very interesting in my research was that some doctors have a theory that the tumor is a twin that never formed. I think that could make sense because my mother is a twin and my husband’s father is a twin.”
Holding her daughter in her arms for the first time, she recalled, “I was simply shocked at how small she was and that the SCT was bigger than she was. Seeing it in person just makes it so real. It was so beautiful to see her, but I was also very scared because we knew she would have surgery. We just hoped for the best outcome and that we would see our baby alive again.”
Her daughter had her tailbone removed to prevent the tumor from returning, and she will have frequent blood tests closely monitored to ensure the tumor does not recur. As long as she is under five years old, the specialists believe the likelihood of recurrence is higher. She then recounted what it was like to bring her baby home for the first time and offered advice to other parents.
The baby is now happily at home with her family. The mother says that after the long hospital stay, bringing her daughter home for the first time was a big deal. “Coming home was a big deal. I had been in the hospital for so long, and finally, we were all together as a family in our own house with our cat and our dog. Although she was already five months old when she came home, I felt that her life was only just beginning at that moment. We finally brought our newborn baby home.”
As advice to other parents, she continued, “I just want her to be a happy and healthy baby one day. I hope you will get in touch with other survivors. Several women have already contacted me, and after hearing my story, shared that they were pregnant and that their baby had been diagnosed with SCT. I want others to take from our story that hope is so important and that they are not alone.”
“Be sure to ask lots of questions and research as much as possible. Even though their tumor is really rare, I managed to find others through social media who are going through the exact same thing as us. I know that some people are scared or overwhelmed when they learn something terrible, especially when it concerns their children. Since parents only want the best for their children, they shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions, push for answers, and get second opinions.”
“I think it’s ultimately a matter of hope. The better informed you are, the calmer you can be, and the more hope you can have. I know exactly what they are going through, which is why I am always ready to tell our story. It also helped me to heal by telling it, and I made contact with others who have gone through the same thing.”
