Hello, this is my first post at this site. My wife and I are in the process to adopt (13 months, 9 months corrected) and have been presented with an opportunity which we are very seriously considering, pending meeting his medical team which is quite extensive. Let me give you the Cole's notes on his background. He was born premature ( 24 weeks I believe and 3 lbs) without a pulse or signs of life. He was revived, and was basically clinging to life. His mother was using many substances during the pregnancy. In addition it was discovered he had meningitis. He fought through this and then suffered a bilateral grade 3/4 brain bleed. He underwent surgery to have a shunt placed due to hydrocephalus. He has developed craniosyntosis, and as it was explained to us, his skull formed too quickly and he now has a "ridge" that runs from the bridge of his nose to his forehead. This requires a major reconstructive surgery to help the skull form properly. This surgery is accompanied by several risk factors, and additional risks due to the presence of his shunt. We met with his surgical team, and they could not give us allot of the answers we are seeking, as there are so many "unknown" factors at play. One doctor was very insistent that Cerebral Palsy was extremely likely, and that due to the grade 3/4 bleed, it could be severe. Now having said all this, we have met little "D" and have started bringing him home for visits. We absolutely adore him, and if you didn't know his history, you would think he was a perfectly normal baby (9 months corrected) with a few exceptions. He does not want to bare any weight on his legs, though if you force him he can. He would rather lift his legs in the air than put them down and bare weight. And he has a noticeably odd shaped head, which will be corrected by the surgery. Now our concern is CP. I guess I am looking for similar stories, and how things developed for your child towards the 2-3 year range when CP can be properly diagnosed. Does the grade 3/4 bleed almost guarantee some form of CP as the doctor is telling us? Or is this just the typical "worst case scenario" you get form doctors sometimes? This little guy is absolutely amazing, and when you see what he has been through, he is quite a miracle, especially when you consider that it was recommended to "pull the plug" in his initial infancy. He is a very happy baby, quick to smile and laugh, kicks, can hold toys, mimics sounds and words etc. It is a huge decision for us, as we want to be sure we can handle what his life is going to look like. Thanks for taking the time to read his story.
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Trying to see the positives
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