When Ashlie Fowler, 29, was 12 weeks pregnant with her first-born child, she was made aware that her son had developed a condition known as gastroschisis, a birth defect of the abdominal wall, owing to which, organs leak out of the body. This occurs as the organs begin to develop. Generally, the small and large intestines exit through a small hole to the right of the belly button, and at times can include other organs such as the stomach and liver.
Gastroschisis is a rare condition that affects about 4 in 10,000 newborns. While the baby has now been moved to his home, a lot sooner than expected, he seems to be doing much better. His parents have named him Koa – which stands for fighter or warrior in Hawaiian. A name befitting of this champion tot.
The biggest concern that both medical staff and his parents had, was concerning his weight, however, medical specialists were confident that baby Koa would be fine and instilled the same confidence in his parents. The delivery of this champ had to take place at a specialist hospital, as a regular hospital would not suffice. Initially, they wanted to have a natural birth, but mother nature had her own plans and as the tot was breached, a C-section was carried out. After Koa took his first gasps of air, the staff had put all of his organs into a sanitized bag to prevent and infection, neither did they want his organs to dry up or lose heat.
He was then wrapped like a cocoon and placed in an incubator, where he seemed to be rather content. Ashlie praised the dedicated medical staff that made all of this possible, as she couldn’t take her eyes of her miracle. Doctors continued to monitor the tot’s condition to ensure that he put on the necessary weight he needed to. This is a feel-good piece that’s a great way to uplift spirits through the grim times most, if not all of us have had to endure. The future holds a lot in store for this little munchkin and his family. Happy New Year!
