Pregnancy is a very difficult time for a woman. Aside from dealing with the physical aspects of it, there is also the constant worry about something going wrong with the baby.
In most cases, mothers are relieved to have been so worried about nothing and their babies turn out perfectly healthy.
However, new mom Jennie Wilklow never got to experience that moment of relief.
A Nearly Normal Pregnancy
Jennie went through a relatively normal pregnancy.
Trouble started to peek its head through when she had to go in for a C-section when she prematurely went into labor at 34 weeks.
Although the operation and delivery were successful, things began to go south when the doctors noticed something very wrong about her daughter.
In a CafeMom article, Jennie shares her and her newborn daughter’s story:
“As they tried frantically to help her, her skin hardened within seconds. After hardening, it began to split, causing open wounds all over her body. Behind the curtain I began to sense their frantic, panicked feeling, and I asked if things were OK.”
After the doctors assured Jennie that they had things under control, she was given medication which knocked her out unconscious as the rest of the commotion unfolded.
A Rare Skin Condition
Eventually, Jenny was informed by doctors that her newborn daughter Anna was suffering from a condition called harlequin ichthyosis.
The disease is a rare hereditary skin disorder in which an infant is born covered in plates of thick skin which then hardens, cracks and split apart at the touch of air. This results to painful skin pulling which also leads to the distortion of facial features and restrictions of facial movements.
Babies born with harlequin ichthyosis usually die a few days after birth. But those who survive can expect a normal life expectancy. Unfortunately, they are also prone to suffer from complications and delays in development of motor skills.
Knowing these, Jennie almost lost hope:
“I spent most of the next two days trying not to look up her condition and thinking how she would have zero quality of life if she lived. I allow myself to admit this thought because it was only in that moment, at the most confused and alone time of my life, that I thought maybe she would be better off dead.”
Pulling Through
But with the help of doctors and her family, Anna survived. They were eventually able to take her home and tried their best to care for Anna.
Jennie spoke about those initial days:
“Every couple of hours I covered her with Vaseline and bathed her for many hours of the day. I had dreamed for years about the things my baby would wear, and though it seemed so trivial, it was what I struggled with most.”
Despite the hardships, Anna brought Jennie a brand-new perspective on life:
“I started to realize that if I put restrictions on what she was capable of, then that would become what she would accomplish, so I decided to set the bar high. I decided she was capable of anything, and so was I.”
Sharing Anna’s Story with the World
Since then, Jennie has created an Instagram account documenting the highs and lows of being a mother to Anna.
“I now understand that I was given her because of the love I already carried in my heart for my daughter. Anna was meant for me, and I for her, and together we will show the world what true beauty is.”
You can find her at @harlequindiva.
What do you think Jennie and Anna’s story?
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