As parents, one of the most exciting times in our lives is when we experience the joy of welcoming a new life into the world. There is nothing like the feeling you have when expecting a child. And it’s at that moment when we first learn we are pregnant, that we know our lives will never be the same again. On the other hand, some anxiety goes along with the good news. We often wonder about the possibility of complications that could happen as well as a host of other issues that could affect the health of the baby.
That is what happened to a young couple who were expecting to welcome their son into the world. They were going to name him Brody, but when doctors performed an ultrasound at 24 weeks, they told the couple that there was a problem. It was at that point that their physician asked the couple to make a devastating choice — to either abort their baby or go through with the pregnancy, knowing that there will be health issues. For any parent, this can be a gut-wrenching decision, as we want to welcome our child into the world, but we also want them to be happy and healthy.
Sara Heller learned about the problem with her partner, Chris. They said that Brody had a bilateral cleft lip and palate and that he would be born with the deformation. They also said it would cause a variety of problems for his health.
The doctors wished to know if they wanted to keep their baby or not.
However, Sarah and Chris did not have a doubt in their minds. They wanted to keep their son and knew that he would look different, but they were willing to do everything they could to get him the help he needed.
They also wished to spread the word about deformities and how the defects affect newborn children.
“We wanted to change what ultrasound/newborn/first year pictures on our Facebook/Instagram accounts looked like. We wanted to spread awareness of cleft lips and palates.”
They admit that their son needed some extra care. A cleft lip and palate can make it difficult for a baby to do a lot of things, such as eating, smiling, drinking, and sometimes they may have trouble breathing.
Lots of folks would message Sara, asking what was wrong with her baby’s face, but rather than getting mad, and she would use it as an opportunity to educate them.
“I decided to educate rather than create a confrontation because that is what I want Brody to do in the future,” she said. “I will want him to educate, to be an advocate for younger cleft kids who don’t have their own voice yet.”
But there have also been times when Sara received unexpected kindness from strangers. Once a stranger in a restaurant handed her a piece of paper, and it contained a check for $1,000. the not read, “for the beautiful baby.”
The money went toward the medical expenses associated with the surgery to repair their son’s lip.
Brody underwent surgery last year and is now recovering nicely. He will likely need a few more surgeries, but he seems very happy.
These parents were blessed with beautiful hearts, as well as a beautiful son.
