Ohio parents were given no hope that their baby would survive, but, he is now thriving against the odds.
Bentley Yoder was born with encephalocele, which means that part of his brain grew outside of his skull, and sadly, there is no known cause. Bentley’s mom, Sierra, had a completely normal pregnancy and was about 5 months pregnant when doctors told her there was no chance her baby would live.
“We were never really given hope,” Sierra told The Washington Post. So Sierra along with her husband, Dustin they decided to end the pregnancy.
The night before they were going to terminate, they had a change of heart. Doctors said that when Bentley was born, he’d basically be a “shell” and they wouldn’t know when he was hungry, what he needed, and might not even be able to breathe. So they went to the hospital to deliver their baby with no car seat, or bottles since they were convinced they’d be coming home alone. They were even given brochures about planning Bentley’s funeral!
But, against all odds, Bentley came out kicking and screaming. Sierra and Dustin were even able to take their son home with them, although doctors were still concerned.
Bentley suffered from respiratory issues and staph infections, and literally had part of his brain outside his skull.
The family went through numerous surgeons before they found neurosurgeon Mark Proctor at Boston’s Children’s Hospital. Proctor and his team determined that because Bentley’s brain was inside his skull, and he was using it, the other part could not fit inside his current cranium, so they needed to expand it. A five-hour surgery was done, and at 5-months-old, Bentley was in recovery.
“He was awake; he was looking at us. He wasn’t cranky. He was just lying there, taking it all in,” his mom says.
Now, at 7-months-old, Bentley is doing well, although we are unsure of what the future holds for him. “Because of how different his brain really is, they have no one to compare him to,” Yoder explains. But he still believes “[Bentley] will have a rewarding life. We just have to take it step by step,” Yoder says.
Watch this incredible video of this “miracle baby” below and please SHARE this story with your friends and family on Facebook!
[Featured Image Credit: Facebook- Sierra Yoder]
Baby Born With Brain Outside Skull Defies All Odds is an article from: LifeDaily