Every expectant parent’s worst nightmare is to go to the hospital and hear that there’s something wrong with the baby. When Victoria Silvestri heard this news, her first thoughts were “Please don’t lose this baby. Please don’t take my baby.”
Victoria’s story is harrowing. But her pregnancy and birth experience should be read by anyone who wants to start a family.
No child is easy. But they are worth it.
Up until the day that they went in for a routine scan, everything had been going perfectly in Victoria’s life. She and her husband were high school sweethearts who never grew apart.
They married in their 20s and discussed starting a family. For them, it was never a question of if; it was a question of when.
So when Victoria took a pregnancy test one day that came up positive, she was overjoyed.
She even planned a special way to tell her husband about her pregnancy. She bought a tiny little onesie, wrote a note from the baby, packed them in a box and told him it was an early birthday present.
But when they went in for their anatomy scan, things took a worrying turn.
Victoria’s husband was the first one to suspect that something was wrong. The nurse taking the scan announced that she was going to find the doctor. Her husband could tell that the nurse had detected something odd. He said to Victoria, “There’s something wrong.”
When the doctor finally entered, she looked at the ultrasound. She seemed to be looking at something very specific.
She turned to the expectant parents and announced what she had found. The baby had an abnormality on its face. She couldn’t say how extensive the baby’s abnormality was. They would just have to wait.
Victoria was overcome with emotions. She broke down crying. Her husband took her hand and tried to console her. But he was struggling himself.
“Even after we left, we went to have dinner, and I still couldn’t keep it together.” -Victoria Silvestri.
And so, with this shocking news, Victoria and her husband had to go about their daily lives. But the news was such a shock, that they were constantly worried.
In the following months, Victoria went in and out of hospital appointments almost every week.
Each time, she learned something more about the baby, but she was never reassured. They told her that it had healthy organs, that the abnormality wouldn’t affect its health and so much more.
This news reassured her somewhat. But there was still dread looming as the due date approached.
On February 1st, 2018, Victoria was all alone. Her husband was away on a business trip. Her mother was living five hours away.
She was due in one week’s time. But on her drive home from work, she felt a pain in her stomach. Contractions.
“My contractions are pretty strong, and then my water breaks. I immediately call my husband. I start crying because I honestly didn’t want to do this without him. But I had to be strong because I had no choice.” – Victoria Silvestri.
After calling her family, urging them to come home right away, she rushed to the hospital.
After a labor that involved a risky procedure, Victoria’s son, Gavin, was delivered. He was 21 inches long and weighed seven pounds and one ounce. He was a healthy baby. But his face was very disfigured.
“Looking at my baby for the first time was pure bliss. I never knew I could love someone so much. I never once cried seeing how severe his malformation was.” – Victoria Silvestri.
But the story wasn’t finished yet.
The doctors urged that Gavin needed to go through a range of treatments, almost immediately.
So for the first two months of his life, Gavin had to endure painful procedures on his face for five days every week.
Even after that, Gavin still had to go to the hospital regularly, with the doctors doing everything they could.
“During the seven months in the hospital, he showed so much strength. He is my warrior.” – Victoria Silvestri.
Gavin will always have to live with his abnormality. But that doesn’t matter one bit to Victoria or her husband.
They had to go through so much to get him. The relief of having a healthy child is so great, that they cherish every moment with him.
This just shows that no matter how a child may be different, parents should love and support them through anything.
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