The nurse turned to the doctor. She held a copy of the scan in her hands. Everyone couldn’t wait to see the result. But the nurse still hadn’t handed it to them. She was shocked by what she saw and lacked the words to express what she saw. Everyone was worried and wanted to find out.
They called out to her, causing her to freak out. But when the doctor finally got a look at the scans, he finally understood the shock and confusion the nurse was feeling. The room became silent and no one could speak as they waited for an explanation from the doctor himself. In that tense moment, the doctor’s brow furrowed as he studied the scans. The weight of the revelation seemed to settle over the room, casting a somber atmosphere. The nurse’s initial shock now resonated with everyone present, creating an air of palpable anxiety.
Happy family
Rob Wall and his wife Shelley Wall lived a very happy life together as a married couple. They lived in Cumbria in the north west of England and couldn’t be happier. They raised their two daughters together and felt like they were living an idyllic life. What more could they ask for when they already have a happy family and raised beautiful children, right?
They felt like they had raised their children right and had a lot of love in their home. With so much love, they knew they could do something to make themselves feel better. They were thirsty for a new challenge, for something more. They wanted to do it again, but maybe a little differently this time.
A third child
They decided they needed another child. After the decision was made, Shelley became pregnant and they were ecstatic. The couple already had two daughters and were hoping they would have a boy. Rob would like to connect through football with a son his daughters had no interest in. But when they arrived at the doctor’s office, everything changed.
Rob knew that if he had a son they would have more in common and that he would love the company too. His daughters loved him and he loved them, but there were things women do that didn’t pique his interest. With a son, not only will they be able to share every moment, but they will also connect and bond on a whole different level.
Results of the scan
During their pregnancy, they visited the hospital for regular check-ups. Both the mother and the baby’s health had to be closely monitored. Shelley and Rob already knew all this, after all it would be their third child. But something would appear that they had never encountered before.
With any ultrasound performed during pregnancy, the results can go either way. It can show a healthy heartbeat, a healthy baby, you can even tell the gender after a few weeks. What Rob and Shelley experienced, however, was anything but a good outcome. The shocking images blew them away and they were left stunned by the incident.
Bad news
Her next doctor’s visit didn’t go well at all. It seemed that the boy who grew up in Shelley had an anomaly in his mind. He only had 2% of his brain, which would lead to a number of complications and challenges that he would have to face in the future. The news forced the couple to make a difficult decision about the next steps of the pregnancy.
They already knew that after the birth of the child there would be many challenges not only for them but also for their child. With this in mind, the doctor had some suggestions for the couple and they had to decide whether they wanted to go through with the pregnancy or not. Since Rob and Shelly had been waiting for this, it wasn’t an easy decision.
Devastated
Shelley and Rob were devastated. They knew their child’s quality of life would be much worse than they expected. The doctor explained what kind of life awaited the boy. Noah’s birth defect was that he had no brain mass and spina bifida. This meant his spinal cord was not forming properly.
But then the doctor suddenly suggested something radical. It may not be the most ethical decision, but it was a way to reassure the couple and the parents. This proposal was heartbreaking because it involved the decision to end a life. No one wants to be put in this position because of the emotional turmoil and consequences that come with it.
abortion
The doctor felt that the correct next option was an abortion. This would be a very difficult decision for Shelley or any other mother. They explained that Noah would require around-the-clock care and his life expectancy would not be very long. What kind of life did you want for your child?
It’s like they’re already taking a step forward for Noah since he wouldn’t be living the life he deserves. Not only would he be challenged metallically and emotionally, his physical discomfort would also become unbearable. No one wants their child to be in pain and no one wants them to struggle to survive.
A decision
The couple had to think about this for a long time. When they got home, they looked at the happy faces of their girls. They couldn’t bear to break the news. They loved their children and never wanted to see them upset. But therein Shelley and Rob had their answer. They would bring this new life into the world.
Rob and Shelly have always viewed their children as a gift and never thought of returning or, even worse, losing their bundle of joy. They saw Noah in the same way and believed that even if he were born with an anomaly, they would not treat him as such. The couple accepted the challenge and decided to move on.
determination
Maybe they would have considered abortion when they were younger. It would have been the easier choice, but the fact is they are not that type of people. After having their two daughters, they knew they would love their child no matter what it was like. But she was advised to have an abortion five times during her pregnancy.
Shelley remained stoic and Rob stood by her side. Even when the harsh reality of Noah’s upbringing came to light, they stood together in their decision and did not look back. They got a taste of what awaited them and were quite sad about it, but since they were up for the challenge it didn’t bother them much. The couple could also rely on each other.
Never back
Shelley didn’t doubt her decision for a second. She survived the pregnancy. There was no turning back now. The chances were bad from the start. But the couple wished and prayed that their child would be strong enough to make it. They knew it would be a challenge as long as Noah fought alongside them, and they were hopeful. It’s a good thing they were.
Since the couple didn’t know whether Noah would survive the pregnancy and delivery, they could only assume that they were in this battle together with their child. If Noah wanted to fight for his life, the couple just had to fight alongside him. They didn’t focus on what lay ahead, but wanted to stay focused on a healthy delivery
Fight the odds
On March 6, 2012, Noah was born via cesarean section. Shelley knew what to expect. Doctors had warned the family that their son could be paralyzed from the chest down and be born with other abnormalities. Despite her fears, Shelley couldn’t wait to meet her son for the first time. She didn’t need to think about his abnormalities, she just wanted to appreciate the gift of life.
There were 12 doctors in the operating room, but when he was born they got a sign. They didn’t expect Noah to be freed this way, he did more than they expected. He was born without any major complications and the delivery wasn’t particularly difficult for her.
A little fighter
When Noah was born, he let out a loud, loud scream, letting his parents know he had arrived. To give him a fighting chance, a doctor placed a shunt in Noah’s skull to drain the excess fluid and relieve pressure on his brain tissue. His parents could only wait to see how he developed.
Noah showed great signs at birth, including crying. Since he only had 2% of his brain, there should have been less reaction, but what he did showed what kind of fighter he is and what he’s made of. It was as if he was giving a sign to everyone around him that he was ready for the next phase of his fight.
Start time
Shelley and Rob had no expectations of Noah in the first days of his life. They were just happy that their boy was healthy and happy. In addition, Noah was able to breathe, eat and drink because his brain stem was intact. He was paralyzed from the waist down, but that never seemed to affect his spirits.
He was a happy little boy. Shelley and Rob wondered how Noah could be successful with so little brain. They also thought that it would have been a problem for Noah himself since he had been praying. But the miracles he showed in the first few days surprised the doctors and the couple as he was more ecstatic and lively and was unaffected by the experience.
Leaps and limits
Noah developed at a pace that was almost impossible to explain. Before he was born, doctors warned that he would have special needs. Yet he was only three years old and seemed to be on par with most children his age. He was aware of everything that was going on around him, seemed emotionally intelligent, and even started talking. Another trip to the doctor’s office was required.
He showed leaps and bounds beyond the doctors’ predictions and expectations. They assumed the challenge would begin from day one, but apparently the couple faced the same challenges that any parent with a newborn would experience. Now that they could see how much he had improved and grown, they wanted a second opinion.
A second look
While Noah collected milestones like leaves from a tree, his parents wanted to know what his brain looked like. A second scan had to be done. The nurse came back from the next room with the scans and looked visibly shocked. “You won’t believe this,” she said. It was something out of the ordinary and the nurse was very excited to share it.
Since it was already expected that Noah would make comparatively slower progress than other children, it was shocking to see him leap and bound from an early age. The results of the scan and overall progress after the review were a surprise to everyone in the room. There was no scientific explanation as to how it happened.
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