Little Hayden Golding underwent a remarkable operation to correct a rare skull condition that caused his head to develop an unusual shape.

Hayden had scaphocephaly craniosynostosis, a condition in which the plates of the skull fuse too early, potentially affecting brain development. The unusual shape of his head was first noticed by a GP during a routine check-up when his mum, Lucy, 27, took him for an appointment.

The condition required major surgery, with surgeons carefully reshaping his skull and putting the pieces back together “like a jigsaw.”

Now two-year-old Hayden is recovering well at home in Essex, and doctors do not expect him to experience any long-term effects.

Lucy, an office manager, said: “At first, when the GP suggested something might be wrong with his head, I felt a little offended — every parent thinks their baby is perfect.

“But we were referred to a specialist and learned about the surgery. Although it wasn’t essential, the doctors couldn’t tell us what the long-term effects might be, so my husband Mark and I decided to go ahead.

“It was a major operation and very frightening, but we’re hopeful Hayden won’t have any lasting effects.”

Hayden was diagnosed with craniosynostosis at seven months old. The early fusion of his skull plates meant there was a risk of increased pressure on his brain as he grew.

Looking back, Lucy said she could now clearly see the difference in Hayden’s head shape in old photographs, although the diagnosis had initially come as a shock.

The family first sought private care through Lucy’s workplace medical insurance, but although consultations were covered, the operation was not.

With the surgery already scheduled, they had to urgently raise £20,000 to cover the cost. They chose not to wait for treatment through the NHS because of the lengthy waiting time.

“It was a lot of money, but worth it,” Lucy said.

During the operation, surgeons carefully reshaped Hayden’s skull in a procedure Lucy described as “like a jigsaw.”

She said: “The surgeon performs this operation three or four times a week, so we had complete confidence in him.

“Hayden has a large scar across his head, but otherwise he looks like any other little boy now. He still has a few soft spots on his head, and sometimes we can see the membrane beneath his skull moving gently.

“The doctors said the surgery went really well, and he was discharged after three months.”

Lucy also received tremendous support from other parents who had experienced similar situations. Today, she says she would feel more comfortable gently raising concerns if she noticed an unusual head shape in another baby.

“I think it’s better to be safe than sorry,” she said.

Source: mirror.co.uk