Baby Boy Not Expected To Survive Gets A Miracle
November 09, 2016
Miraculous Transformation For Baby With Brain Growing Outside Of Skull
Mary and Mark Gundrum received exciting news at Mary's 20-week ultrasound -- they were having a boy! But terrible news immediately followed. Their baby boy, Dominic, suffered from a rare disorder -- encephalocele -- that had his brain growing outside of his skull. Doctors suggested an abortion, since odds were the disorder would either result in death or severe disability. But the couple chose to place their baby's fate in God's hands. And He sent an incredible miracle!
Seeking Hope
Mary and Mark are devout Christians. Already the parents of seven children, one thing was for sure when doctors broke the devastating news. They weren't aborting their son.
"That’s my child. It’s that simple. I’m not going to take the life of my child," said Mary.
Still, the grim outlook was terrifying. Mary turned to the internet to do some research on her son's disorder. But each case she found only added to her worry.
"I couldn’t find any message of hope,” she said.
But through her searching, God led Mary to Dr. John Meara, the plastic surgeon in chief at Boston Children’s Hospital. He had some experience with encephalocele, so Mary emailed him Dominic's ultrasound. And while his response brought more bad news, it also brought hope.
Another Diagnosis
From the ultrasound, Dr. Meara saw that Dominic's rare disorder wasn't his only problem. He also had a Tessier facial cleft, a large, triangle-shaped gap running from his upper lip through the middle of his nose and forehead. Essentially, the two halves of Dominic's face never came together, leaving even more room for his brain growing outside of his skull.
Dr. Meara called it an "exquisitely rare" combination of two diagnoses, and a case in which most parents opt to terminate the pregnancy. But in the midst of all of the bad news, Dr. Meara had these words, too.
"I want you to know it’s going to be OK."
RELATED: Bullies call a boy with his brain growing into his nose ugly, but his mom says he's perfect
Dominic's Arrival
Dominic was born via c-section in June. Though his condition left his face severely disfigured, he came out a healthy 8 pounds and completely responsive as a newborn should be. And as you'd expect, his family was overjoyed!
[caption id="attachment_32402" align="aligncenter" width="749"] Credit: Daily Mail / CaringBridge[/caption]"You look at him, you say 'this is who he is,' and then you fall in love," Mary said.
The rare combination of encephalocele and Tessier cleft created several complications, but there was some good news, too. The bubble growing out of the gap left by his cleft was filled mostly with fluid, rather than brain growing outside of his skull.
Doctors immediately began developing a plan of attack for the best way to help the little boy, starting with a complex surgery in December. And soon, Mark and Mary's fear was replaced with hope!
RELATED: Miracle baby shocks doctors when she's born with more water in her body than blood
A Life-Changing Surgery
Dr. Meara collaborated with Dr. Mark Proctor, a neurosurgeon at Boston Children’s Hospital to plan the surgery that would remove Dominic's encephalocele, close his skull, repair the Tessier cleft, and bring the baby’s facial features together. The complex procedure came with its fair share of risk, something Dr. Meara didn't take lightly.
“I had a lot of sleepless nights,” Dr. Meara recalled, “because so many things can go wrong in a case like this.”
But God is good, and the operation was a success!
There were some complications following the surgery, and little Dominic spent several weeks battling in intensive care. But the little warrior pulled through, and went home to Wisconsin to be with his family a month after the surgery.
A Bright Future
Since then, Dominic has been doing just great.
[caption id="attachment_32403" align="aligncenter" width="693"] Dominic after healing from the surgery (left), Dominic at 2 years old (right) Credit: Boston Children's Hospital Blog[/caption]As a result of his condition, part of his brain is missing -- the corpus callosum. This connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain and is responsible for transferring motor, sensory, and cognitive information between the two sides. But aside from taking longer to fully develop his walking and talking skills, Dominic is a happy, healthy little boy.
And what a blessing that after all of the odds stacked against him, this little angel is more than surviving, but thriving! It's a miracle is not lost on his loving family.
“The day Dominic was born, a group of friends had a tree planted in our yard in his honor,” says Mark. “I remember thinking, 10 years from now, I’m either going to look at that tree and think of the son I lost, or watch him climb its branches. Right now, thanks to so many wonderful people at Boston Children’s and beyond, I’m excited to watch him hanging from that tree as they both grow bigger and stronger.”
This little angel was born with half a heart, and the sweetest smile!
h/t: Boston Globe
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Transforming Worry into Trust - Your Daily Prayer - October 24
Worrying does nothing to benefit our lives in any way; it only takes away. It takes away the present moments and present joy you could experience, not to mention it takes away from a peaceful life.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Transforming Worry into Trust - Your Daily Prayer - October 24
Worrying does nothing to benefit our lives in any way; it only takes away. It takes away the present moments and present joy you could experience, not to mention it takes away from a peaceful life.
Past Stories
- 6-Year-Old Starts 'Poop Scooping' Business to Help Animals and Adopt One of His Own
- Bride's dad Drops During Father-Daughter Dance, but Things Lined up Perfectly to Save His Life
- Young North Carolina Father Risked His Life To Save a Couple and Dog From a Sinking Truck
- UPS Driver Jumps into Action As He Spots Elderly Woman on the Ground & Says It Was All God
- Rescuer Braces for the Worst After Spotting Kitten on the Side of the Road, Then Sees a Paw Move
- AJ Griffin Gives Up High-Paying Career with NBA to Follow God
- These Former Conjoined Twins Finally Go Home After Their First Birthday
- Teenager From Iowa Uses His Flying Skills to Help Hurricane Helene Victims
- Son Saves For 9 Months and Surprises Mom By Paying Off Her Mortgage
- Woman's Home is Surrounded By 100 Raccoons, and They Aren't Leaving Anytime Soon
- Dog Saves Her Owner's Life By Sitting in the Middle of the Road
- Widower Shares the Last Thing His Wife Told Their Son Before She Passed Away From Cancer
- A Nurse Saved Her Life 35 Years Ago, Now, She is Surprising Her With a Visit
- These Twin Sisters Have An Important Message To Share On Their 102nd Birthday
- This Brave 5-Year-Old Saved Her Mother's Life By Calling 911
- 79-Year-Old Broke Her Ankle After Scattering Her Mom's Ashes, Then Strangers Save the Day
- Dad Travels Through Mud and Debris to Walk His Daughter Down the Aisle
- Owner's Trip to the Vet with Unwell Dog Results in the Craziest X-Ray
- After Getting Lost in Yellowstone, This Precious Cat Made His Way Back Home To California
- Mom's Funny Response To Daughter's Dirty Sock On The Floor Goes Viral & Ends Up Doing Good
- A Kidnapped Boy Is Found After 70 Years and Reunited With His Family
- This Puppy Was Found With a Note That Read 'Help Me,' Now He's Looking For a New Home
- Excited Mom Couldn't Wait to See Son's Back to School Pictures, but Funny Results Make Her LOL
- When This Police Officer Pulled Her Over, He Changed Her Life Forever
- She Just Met Her Vietnam Veteran Father After 50 Years, Now He is Walking Her Down the Aisle
- Fearless Father Waits on Porch to Catch the Stranger Peeking in His Daughter's Window
- This 5th Grade Teacher Eats Lunch In the Cafeteria Every Day
- Amy Grant Has a New Perspective After Losing Her 'Superpower' in Bike Accident
- 'God Did It' Says 18-Year-Old After Waking Up From a Coma Following a Crash
- These Four Sisters Share a Birthday, Which is Quite the Miracle
- Dad Harmony Sings a Beautiful A Cappella Rendition of ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love'
- Couple's Outstanding Boogie Woogie Dance Performance
- Siblings’ Cover of Dolly Parton’s Classic ‘I Will Always Love You’ Is Incredible
- Pastor and Wife Were Killed in a Car Accident, But Their Kids Have a Message of Hope
- Outstanding 'Amazing Grace' Cover Music Video by Celtic Woman
- Carrie Underwood Helps With Leading Worship at Tennessee Church
- 8-Year-Old Kid's To-Do List Goes Viral As a Wholesome Reminder for Us All
- 'Holy Forever' Lyric Video by Chris Tomlin and CAIN
- Elementary Teacher Talks About the Power of Words and Kindness By Using Toothpaste
- Prayers Pour in for Loretta Lynn's Family After the Death of the Late Singer's First Grandchild
- Dennis Quaid Singing 'On My Way To Heaven" is an Inspiring Performance
- Charming Elderly Couple Share Sweet Dance to 'Have You Ever Seen The Rain?"
- Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick Adorably Sing a Sassy Duet to Celebrate 36 Years of Marriage
- Rory Feek Performs Beautiful Tune 'I Do' After Finding Love Again
- Driver Shows Up to Deliver Pizza to Elderly Man's House, Then Comes Back with His Lawnmower
- What Parents & Grandparents Don't Know About 'Easy' Recipe Trend Could Be Dangerous
- Nearly 1,500 Students Gather to Worship Jesus at Texas A&M Revival
- 96-Year-Old Shares the Secret to a Happy Life and His Words of Wisdom Are Truly Inspiring
- In God's Divine Timing, Wedding Ring Is Returned to Man's Widow After It's Lost for 60+ Years
- Rock Singer's Powerful Rendition of 'I Will Always Love You'
Top Music Videos
CCM Magazine Steven Curtis Chapman Shares the Heartfelt Message that Helped While Grieving His Daughter
Crowder Crowder Moving Official 'Somebody Prayed' Music Video
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
Mandisa Mandisa - Shackles (Praise You)
Anne Wilson Anne Wilson 'The Cross' Powerful Lyric Video
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.