A mother’s heart overflows with happiness, excitement, and a tiny bit of uncertainty for the duration of her nine-month pregnancy. Expectant parents hope for a happy, healthy baby at all times. It’s unfortunate that not everything goes as planned.
Jennie Wilklow of Highland, New York was looking forward to meeting her daughter. Jennie and her husband’s happiness overcame them as they cuddled their new baby.
They underwent a number of ultrasounds and doctor visits, all of which revealed a healthy baby.
Hearing this reassurance put them at ease, and they had no idea that their precious Anna would be born with a disability that would forever alter their lives.
Jennie had a C-section with Anna when she was 34 weeks pregnant. She looked into Anna’s eyes as the doctors placed the infant in her arms and felt overwhelming love.
Their adorable child appeared to be doing well.
She couldn’t help but be uncomfortable when Jennie’s husband visited her.
Jennie admitted to Cafe Mom that she was frightened by her husband’s silence. As the doctor left the room, I prodded him for more information as he sat there in shock. With a heavy heart, he said, “It’s bad”.
I could see it in her eyes, Jennie, and she has the most beautiful soul, according to her husband. Jennie didn’t understand at the time what those words meant. Thoughts of what was wrong were racing through her head.
Anna had a rare condition known as harlequin ichthyosis, which is characterized by the development of thick, diamond-shaped plates with wide cracks. As they frantically tried to help her, her soft skin immediately after birth hardened, Jennie told Cafe Mom.
Her body was lacerated all over as a result of the severe splitting she experienced following the hardening. “Despite the doctors’ concerns, Anna lived and prospered. “She was pure beauty,” Jennie boasted”.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for harlequin ichthyosis.
For the treatment to be effective, consistent effort is needed, including numerous showers and intensive skin moisturization. “I would give her long, drawn-out baths and moisturize her with Vaseline every few hours.
It may have seemed unimportant, but it was one of the things I struggled with the most. I had imagined all the adorable outfits my baby would have on,” Jennie admitted.
On the “harlequin diva” Instagram page, which Anna founded to raise awareness of this illness, her photos were published. Through her posts, she sheds light on the daily struggles parents of children with harlequin ichthyosis experience.
Many people were enamored with Anna because she personified perfection at its most basic. She is comfortable carrying out these routine tasks. The world joins us in celebrating whenever we reach a new milestone, says Jennie.
She continued, “I now realize that Anna was given to me because of my love for my daughter. Because we were meant to be together, we will jointly redefine what genuine beauty is in the world. ”.
The fact that Anna’s parents go above and beyond to ensure her happiness is a blessing in and of itself. She is a beautiful person in her own right.
Let’s forward this article to our friends and family on Facebook to help share Anna’s story. Together, we can raise awareness of and celebrate the incredible power and beauty that every individual possesses, despite differences.
