Parents REFUSE to abort ‘deformed’ baby… and just look at him now!
These are incredible photos...
When parents Sara Helliar and Chris Eidam were expecting their first baby they were over the moon.
Yet at their 24-week ultrasound, the scan showed their baby boy had a birth defect and doctors gave them the option to abort their son.
Their baby, who they had already named Brody, was diagnosed with a bilateral cleft lip palate, but Sara and Chris were adamant they wouldn't consider an abortion.
A cleft palate or cleft lip is a birth condition caused by failure of the mouth parts to join up during early fetal development - it can affect speech, feeding and even breathing.
But Sara refused to listen to doctors who suggested an abortion was an option because to her, her unborn baby was ‘beautiful’ despite what doctors called a 'severe deformity'.
“It is OK to be proud of your baby no matter the circumstances. We wanted to change what ultrasound/newborn/first year pictures on our Facebook/Instagram accounts looked like. We wanted to spread awareness of cleft lips and palates," she told Heart Eternal.
This is a picture she posted when little Brody was born.
But despite being determined to educate people on cleft lip palates, they still received a lot of negative comments about their newborn baby.
"What's wrong with his face?" wrote one user on their Instagram account.
And instead of getting angry, Sara chose to turn a negative into a positive and try to answer all questions about her baby clearly and as easily as she could in a bid to help people accept the condition. She talked about possible causes in such cases and treatments.
And now aged two, after surgeries and treatments, Brody is a happy and healthy two-year-old! Just look at him!
The family admit that life hasn't been easy - as Brody still has trouble eating - but a surprise act of kindness from a stranger has really boosted their faith that Brody will be OK. One evening when the family were out for dinner, a surprise gift from a fellow diner left the mother in tears.
The waitress brought over a piece of paper and when she opened it up, Sara found a cheque for $1,000 with the note ‘For your beautiful baby’.
"Tears fell from my eyes immediately and the happiness my heart felt is indescribable," Sara confessed.
The generous gift helped the parents pay for Brody’s first surgery and he will undergo more as he grows into his normal life.
"This experience has shown us just how strong the cleft community is. We've been contacted by people all over the country. They are praying to god for us and asking us to reach out if we need anything."
Faye James is a regular contributor at New Idea, WHO and Practical Parenting and works across health, beauty, celebrity and royal content. She has over 20 years of experience spanning across the UK, Middle East and Australia.
