…By Jack Sylva for TDPel Media. Sarah Copeland, a pregnant mother, experienced a moment of joy when her unborn baby was seen kicking her legs during a scan, following a delicate spinal surgery performed while still in the womb.
The 36-year-old special educational needs teacher had previously suffered three miscarriages before her current pregnancy, but her 20-week scan revealed that her baby girl had spina bifida.
Doctors informed Sarah that her baby would be born paralyzed from the waist down if immediate action was not taken.
In response, Sarah underwent rare surgery last month, during which doctors repaired a hole in her baby’s spine while she was still in Sarah’s womb.
Following the operation, a subsequent scan revealed the baby wriggling her little legs, confirming the success of the surgery.
Spina bifida is a neural tube defect that occurs when a baby’s spine and spinal cord do not develop properly in the womb, resulting in a gap in the spine.
Sarah and her partner, Christian Rayner, 43, are eagerly anticipating the arrival of their baby girl on July 22.
Sarah, from Billericay, Essex, expressed her relief at the successful outcome, stating, “She’s my little miracle, and I’m so relieved the op went well.
We felt truly blessed to see her moving her legs.
It was very overwhelming.
They scanned her straight away, and she’s dancing around happy as Larry.
She’s using them fully, and you can see the scar on her has healed already.
It’s so lovely to be home and for my baby to be doing fine.”
Sarah and Christian previously experienced the loss of a pregnancy at 10 weeks last July.
Prior to that, Sarah had two miscarriages.
She discovered her current pregnancy in November.
At 20 weeks, doctors at Basildon Hospital identified the spina bifida condition in her unborn baby.
She was then referred to a specialist team at a hospital in Southend and later to King’s College Hospital in London, where the surgery took place on April 26.
Sarah explained that nerves had protruded through a hole at the base of her baby’s spine, being exposed to spinal fluid and at risk of damage.
Without treatment, her baby would have been unable to move from the waist down upon birth, potentially resulting in brain damage.
The operation, performed when Sarah was 27 weeks pregnant, gave her baby a 90% chance of gaining movement in her lower body.
During the surgery, doctors made a cut resembling a C-section and used keyhole techniques to access the protective amniotic sac.
They carefully placed the nerves back into the baby’s spine and closed the hole with a skin patch.
Unfortunately, subsequent scans revealed damage to some nerves, which may still affect the baby’s bladder and bowel functions.
Sarah expressed her gratitude that her baby can now move, stating, “I’m just so glad that she can move, there will be so much more she’ll be able to do now than if I hadn’t had the op.
She’s moving her legs fully, but we’re not sure yet if she’ll have the muscle tone to stand or walk, and if she does, it will take her longer.
We’re getting the garden flattened so we can get a hot tub, and she can have private therapy there.”
Read More On The Topic On TDPel Media
Share on Facebook «||» Share on Twitter «||» Share on Reddit «||» Share on LinkedIn
Read Related News On TDPel Media
