When Nikky Potoe was told to end her baby, she was heartbroken.
The 28-year-old mother of six had been told by doctors that her little boy was likely to survive as his head was severely swollen and his skull was crushed due to a rare condition.
However, something inside Nikky told her that her abortive was a fighter, and she refused to abort him.
Hours later, she gave birth to little Lorezo and, despite the adversities, miraculously survived.
And although he is currently battling brain damage, his mother believes that “it was meant to be.”
Nikky and her partner Ferado, 33, from Hυddersfield, West Yorks, are sharing their story to urge other parents to trust their beliefs.
Papa Fernando said: “We just want to say that you don’t always listen to what the doctors say, because they are not always right.
“I have proof: he is here alive and well.”
Nikky and Ferdo’s ordeal began when Lorezo was diagnosed with severe hydrocephalus, a rare condition that causes fluid to build up and the skull and brain to swell, at 20 weeks.
The couple was offered a termination to full term, as there was a high probability that Lorezo would be born deaf, blind, unable to move, and prone to seizures.
However, Nikky refused to abort Lorezo, despite warnings that she would not survive the birth.
The stay-at-home mom said: “I don’t think I’m done and I was looking for a contraceptive when I got pregnant so I felt like it was meant to be.
“Although we considered it because the doctors said it was the best we could do, we decided to let my father run his course because he was halfway there.
“As the pregnancy ended, the doctors told her that she was at high risk of stillbirth or not surviving after birth; they said that he would be blind, would not walk, would be deaf and would have seizures.
“We couldn’t figure out how they could tell that from a diving suit.”
The doctors told him that he was at high risk of dying dead.
Nikky Potope
Nikky had a C-section in January at 36 weeks pregnant because Lorezo’s head was growing too fast.
And the doctors went out of their way to warn her that her baby would not survive the delivery because it was brain damaged.
However, Lorezo miraculously survived the delivery.
And while the four-week-old needs to be tube-fed and was able to close his eyes for the first two weeks of his life, he has surprised his parents by completely closing his eyes and breathing on his own.
Nikky said: “We had a C-section at 36 weeks because Lorezo’s head was getting bigger and bigger so quickly.
“When he was born, he didn’t cry at first and we were only waiting for him for what seemed like a few minutes.
“We were very relieved when he did it and it was very emotional. I thought he wasn’t going to make it.
“At first, he couldn’t blink and his eyes were constantly open, so the doctors had to sew up the corners of his eyes.
“Now he blinks and opens his eyes, so he has proven many doctors wrong.”
Lorezo had a permanent shυпt inserted into his head at two weeks of age that drains fluid from his brain into his stomach.
Nikky and Ferdo don’t know how the condition will affect their long term, but describe it as their miracle for the birth of all who survived.
His father, Fernando, added: “I am very happy that we did not end with a termination.
“We thought about it because we thought it could be difficult and we didn’t know if we would be able to overcome it, but he is very tough.
“I would not be able to face what has happened.
Cogeital hydrocephalus is when a baby is born with excess fluid in the brain.
It can be caused by a condition, such as spina bifida, or a condition the mother develops during pregnancy, such as mumps or rubella (measles).
Many babies born with hydrocephalus have permanent brain damage.
This case causes several long-term complications, such as:
.learning disabilities
.speech problems
.Memory problems
.short care spa
.Problems with organizational skills
.Visibility issues, such as a square and loss of visibility
.Problems with physical coordination
.Epilepsy
Hydrocephalus can usually be treated with a thin tube (wrist) that is surgically implanted into the brain and drains excess fluid.
“As soon as we saw it we fell in love with it. He couldn’t stop shaking, we were crying out of our eyes.
“We are very proud of him. Everything the doctors said he wouldn’t be able to do is silly.”
There is a cure for severe hydrocephalus, but doctors say the swelling around Lorezo’s head will redden over time as a tissue drains the fluid.
During Nikky’s pregnancy, Lorezo was also diagnosed with severe vetric lomegaly, enlargement of the vertices of the thorax, which caused part of the thorax to rupture.
After birth, an MRI showed that Lorezo barely has a brain, with a cyst in the middle of his brain, and is kept alive by his brain stem.
Lorezo also has a colostomy bag because he was born without an anus.
Despite this, his parents say the little boy has enjoyed meeting his older siblings Koby, 12, Lily, te, Thomas, eight, Bella, five, and Gio, ten months.
