Mom gave birth to a baby. Then, Dad said, “There’s something wrong.”
Andrea West met her future husband during their final year of university. They quickly fell head over heels in love and, right after graduating, relocated to Andrea’s hometown.
Within just a few years, they got engaged and had the wonderful news to share with their friends and family that Andrea was expecting their first child. Andrea was over the moon.
However, after merely eleven weeks, that joy was shattered by sadness. Andrea suffered a miscarriage.
This is how Andrea described her emotions on the Facebook page Love What Matters:
“I was an absolute wreck. I was at a complete loss. I didn’t know what steps to take, who to confide in, what topics were appropriate to discuss, or who could offer me support. It never occurred to me that one in every four women experiences the same ordeal and simply keeps it to themselves. I was filled with doubt about whether I could ever conceive again.”
After some time, with the unwavering support of her husband, Andrea’s anxiety gradually subsided. Fortunately, she became pregnant once more.
This time around, she made a vow to do everything within her power to ensure her baby developed healthily. She gave up numerous foods, such as cold-cut meats, sushi, and certain cheeses. She also delved into a plethora of pregnancy books – this time, she was determined that everything would go smoothly.
True to her hopes, her pregnancy progressed without a hitch. At the appropriate time, she began experiencing mild contractions, headed to the hospital, and was admitted to a delivery room accompanied by her partner.
Just as she was on the verge of going home, an ultrasound revealed that she had very little or no amniotic fluid remaining. They had no choice but to induce labor immediately.
The Birth
Thankfully, the birth went off without a hitch. Before the night ended, Andrea and her husband welcomed a little boy into the world – Adam.
However, Andrea’s partner wasn’t able to cut the umbilical cord as they had planned.
Instead, Adam was swiftly whisked away from his parents by a large number of medical staff. Andrea’s husband could only catch a fleeting glimpse of his son over the shoulders of a group of doctors. He turned back to Andrea and uttered the heart-wrenching words: “Honey, there’s something wrong with Adam’s leg.”
Twenty people surrounded little Adam. The longer they waited for answers, the more anxious Andrea became.
When Andrea’s mom and partner stepped out to inform the family members waiting outside, she was left alone in the ward, completely in the dark about what was happening. Still, no one informed her of what was amiss with her baby.
It turned out that the right side of his abdomen and his entire right leg were a purplish-black hue.
The Diagnosis
After a while, Adam was diagnosed with Cutis Marmorata Telangiectatica Congenita (CMTC), an extremely rare vascular disorder.
Andrea and her husband were at a loss for how to respond. At the time of Adam’s birth, there had only been 500 reported cases of this disease worldwide – ever.
Adam underwent a series of tests on his vital organs, and thankfully, he passed all of them without any complications. Andrea spent a great deal of time in the NICU and went without sleep for four days.
Ultimately, Adam was able to go home, armed with a strict set of instructions on how to care for his skin. As time passed, it became increasingly evident that Adam was a true fighter.
Today, he’s a happy, healthy young lad who has a passion for math and playing chess. He can even participate in sports, although his condition causes his leg to be weak.
Throughout all of this, even though Adam is aware that he’s a bit different from other children, he never views his disability as an obstacle.
Andrea West remains actively involved with the CMTC Alliance, a global non-profit organization dedicated to assisting individuals with rare vascular conditions. She works tirelessly to raise awareness about these disorders and advocate for those affected.
Sure, Adam may have had a challenging start in life, but today the West family is filled with happiness. Share this article with your friends on Facebook so that more people can discover this remarkable story!