Sofia, Our Miracle Baby

Sofia is a very special baby in our family. She's Rae's favorite cousin because she seldom cries, would always laugh and smile at her, very attentive when she reads her a story, and she's always on the go! Rae would surely miss her so much when she goes back home to the Philippines. She badly wants a sister like Sofia.

She's our miracle baby. Read on how her mom related the story in Baby Magazine July 2005 issue...

On August 18, 2004, our beautiful baby girl was born. She was absolutely perfect...pinkish, with a lot of hair, and such an angelic face.

During the next few weeks, I noticed that one eye seemed smaller than the other and her eyebrows were not even. I consulted two pediatricians and one neurologist and told them my concerns about my baby's somewhat asymmetrical appearance. All three doctors told me told me there was nothing to worry about and assured me that my baby just had a mild "molding" problem that should go back to normal in a few months to a year's time, at most.

I was still convinced that there was a problem with her head... I really felt something just was not right.

When we sat with the neurosurgeon...he then asked us to have a CT scan done. Our baby was sedated during the procedure. When I received the results of the CT scan... I once again started doing research on craniosynostosis and came up with the condition that seemed to fit Sofia's: right coronal cranio, wherein only one suture was fused.

I consulted with several doctors during the following days and all agreed that Sofia had to have surgery. We were referred to two doctors: Dr. Jim Goodrich of Children's Hospital at Montefiore (New York) who was on the team of surgeons that successfully separated the Aguirre twins, and Dr. Robert Keating, Director of Neuro-surgery at Children's National Medical Center (Washington DC).

All that was needed now was for her to come into the hospital at 6:30 AM on the surgery date. I didn't get much sleep worrying how Sofia would feel after the operation. My husband and my parents were with me in the admitting room...

On the fifth hour, both the neurosurgeon and the plastic surgeon came in to talk to us. They informed us that the surgery was a success. Our little girl was very strong.

Sofia is now in Washington DC and has been receiving therapy three times a week for slight head tilt that she had developed prior to surgery. We are so proud of Sofia for being so strong and brave, with all she had to go through. Now, when we see her lovely angelic smile and her beautiful face, we are assured she will live a normal life. Sofia is truly a special little girl - our miracle baby - who has brought so much faith and love into our lives.

PUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE MOM, STEPHANIE INOCENTES, MY COUSIN-IN-LAW.