Every expectant mom and dad wants only one thing: for their baby to be born happy and healthy. It’s the number one issue on every parent’s mind, and each and every mom and dad-to-be hopes they never have to deal with the news that something might be wrong with their baby.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to Cheyenne Potts and her husband Michael. They’d been so excited about welcoming their baby boy, Leo, into the world, but as the due date grew closer, they got some terrible news.
Doctors told Cheyenne and Michael that their unborn baby was “broken and breaking”. They said that he would probably die before delivery, and even if he did survive until birth, he wouldn’t live longer than a week.
Leo’s grandma told the full story to Love What Matters, revealing that Leo was diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease.
It’s a very difficult condition to live with in which the bones are exceptionally weak and can break very easily, with symptoms including hearing loss, respiratory difficulties, and loose joints. It affects around 1 in every 15,000 people, and there is no cure.
So, when doctors confirmed the diagnosis, they made a recommendation to Leo’s parents: they said that Cheyenne should get an abortion.
At first, Cheyenne and Michael didn’t know what to think, but then they made a decision:
We decided to do our best to plan as though the doctors were wrong. Talk amongst ourselves about what life with Leo might be like. We spent the next 4 months in this manner.
The couple and their extended family got ready for Leo’s birth, which was due just after Christmas. Then, in January of 2019, the big day came. Leo was born. He weighed five pounds, 11 ounces. And it was then that Leo started to defy the odds and shatter the doctors’ expectations.
Leo Alexander came into this world. Crying, alive, and doing it on his own! The doctors were wrong! Was he perfect? No, he was perfectly imperfect, and he was HERE. Alive, and a fighter. That day, Leo began to show the world that he would write his own book.
The doctors were astonished to see that Leo was so strong, in spite of his condition, but they said he’d still need to spend up to six months in the NICU. In the end, he was there less than three weeks before being cleared to go home with his parents. Since then, he’s been doing great and is a very happy and smiley baby.
Of course, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Leo’s grandma admits that there have been plenty of “ups and downs” in Leo’s life so far, but she says that the good moments are totally worth it and that she and Leo’s parents are so grateful for every single second they get to spend with this brave little fighter.
We were asked about moments that stand out to us, and to be honest, I can’t think of just a few things that stand out. Leo’s entire life stands out. He is an amazingly happy spirit and we see him touch and inspire people everywhere he goes
Leo is an inspiration! Let’s hope he keeps on beating the odds for a very long time and continues growing up into a very happy little boy.
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