"When she cried, we cried. I felt hopeless and just held onto Naomi and was staring into her eyes praying that it was all going to be ok.”
Heart Outside Of Her Body
Naomi and Dean had been advised by doctors to terminate the pregnancy. But neither felt that was the right path."All the way through it, it was 'the chances of survival are next to none, the only option is to terminate, we can offer counseling' and things like that...In the end I just said that termination is not an option for me, if it was to happen naturally then so be it." Naomi told reporters.After birth, this "miracle baby" was sent into surgery to create room in her chest cavity for her heart. This was the first of many surgeries.
Protecting Vanellope's Heart
This little baby's fight wasn't over. She also was born without a natural rib cage or sternum to protect the internal organs. Doctors had to create one from surgical mesh. Until her body fully adjusts to the newly placed organs, Vanellope remains on a ventilator. While the road has been difficult, emotionally draining, and worrisome, Vanellope's parents still fully believe they have made the right decision.Dean says, “The moment she was born I realized that we had made the right decision. We know this is going to be a rollercoaster and have started to prepare ourselves for the difficult times ahead, but we needed to give her a chance, and the team here have done that."
