After receiving surgery in her mother's womb, Kaelyn Murphy is expected to be able to walk in spite of a spina bifida diagnosis.While Amanda Murphy was 20 weeks into her pregnancy, her daughter Kaelyn Murphy was diagnosed with spina bifida, a condition that causes the spinal cord to form improperly. Most children born with this condition are never able to walk. When the family was told Kaelyn was eligible for a new treatment that would allow her to walk, they sprung at the chance. Eoin Murphy, Kaelyn's father, appeared on the radio to discuss the amazing procedure that helped his daughter.
“We found out at 20 weeks and the operation had to be [done] by 26 weeks or it couldn’t be done. So we didn’t have much time to soak it all in. It was a massive shock,” Eoin said.
“So what they would do is Caesarean my partner Amanda, open her up, cut a little slit in the sac the baby is in turn the baby around so the opening in the back would be visible. They would sew it up and they would put her back in. And let baby try [to] heal itself whilst in mummy’s womb. That is what was done. We feel so fortunate.”
Preborn children diagnosed with spina bifida are often aborted by parents who believe they would suffer too much to make their life worth living. While that logic will never hold true, now they have another reason to give their child a chance.
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