Anyone who has been given heart-breaking news during a pregnancy consultation with their doctor will know just how tough that journey can be to carry on with, but Ben and Alyssa Reidhead’s story proves that you should never give up hope.
The couple were left devastated when, at 23 weeks into their pregnancy, they were told that their baby’s brain was growing outside of his skull, in a condition known as encephalocele.
In an interview with Fox13, they revealed that the update was completely unexpected and amounted to ‘the worst news they could have ever heard’. This was compounded by the fact that doctors went on to tell them that the tot would likely only live for a few minutes after birth.
The couple had even chosen their baby’s casket when they entered the hospital to welcome him into the world last week, and little Baby Will was born via Caesarean-section.
Ben and Alyssa – and their doctors – have been left totally amazed, however, as not only is Will still here but he is also doing incredibly well.
They told Fox: “He’s not hooked up to anything. He’s breathing fine. He’s lifting his head. He’s moving around. He’s pretty much acting like a completely normal baby.”
As it turns out, little Will has cutia aplasia – there is not enough skull bone there to cover the back of his brain, and that section is currently only supported and protected by a thin membrane.
While doctors try to figure out the best course of action for Will, his parents are treasuring every second with him.
If you would like to follow the latest updates of Will’s story, check out the Reidheads’ GoFundMe page (link here).
