It is customary for family and friends to celebrate when a new member is born. However, a mother felt disappointed when her baby daughter was born different, and no one cheered and welcomed her when she arrived, a reaction the new mother did not expect from her family.
The couple, 36-year-old Eliza Jamkochian Bahneman and her husband, 41-year-old Erik, tried to conceive for 9 months with no luck. One day, they finally received great news. Eliza was pregnant, and the couple was going to be first-time parents.
Eliza was very excited since she knew that her sisters and cousins all had children of their own, and now she was going to have one of her own. The new mom-to-be instantly shared the exciting news with her family and friends, and the couple was ecstatic.
Eliza was at the age where getting pregnant was already quite difficult. However, she was given a miracle. The couple was very grateful for the opportunity to build their own family, and they were thankful for the blessing when they realized their unborn baby was a girl.
The pregnancy went smoothly, and everyone was very excited to meet the newest member of the family. In a few months, they will be welcoming a baby girl. The mother-to-be was prepared and ready to deliver her baby on the due date provided by her doctor. However, a sudden change of plans occurred.
The baby, named Little Isabella or Bella, did not arrive on her due date. Instead, she arrived a month early. Despite the sudden arrival of their baby, the couple was ready to welcome her.
On October 2018, Isabella was born after 12 hours of labor. The baby girl was born tiny, and her size was not the only thing the couple noticed was different about their daughter.
After she gave birth, Eliza was expecting congratulatory exclamations and smiles from the room when her baby arrived. Instead, she was greeted by a silent and sad atmosphere when her baby came into the world. When she finally saw her baby, she realized the reason behind everyone’s unexpected reactions.
Everyone in the room was confused, sad, and unable to smile when Little Isabella arrived. Sadly, the baby was born with Treacher-Collins syndrome, a genetic condition that affects the development of the facial bones and causes deformities. Upon learning about her baby’s condition, Eliza’s heart sank.
Bella’s condition also had other issues. She had hearing loss, a small and recessed jaw, microtia, a hard and soft cleft palate, and a small airway.
“When she was born, I noticed a really small folded ear,” Eliza said. “But I was told babies look a bit weird when they are first born, so I didn’t think much of it. But as I looked around, I knew something was wrong. Nobody was congratulating me, and my mother and husband looked confused and scared. It was strangely silent, and then the doctor left the room. I had no idea what was going on.”
However, a mother’s love is unconditional. A mother’s love does not stop at appearances, no matter who you are or what you were born with.
All her sadness and worries faded when Eliza finally held Little Isabella in her arms. All she could think of was how happy she was to welcome her baby into the world and meet her daughter for the first time.
“I finally got to hold Isabella and felt very happy even though she looked different,” Eliza said. “But I fell in love with her instantly and knew everything was going to be okay.”
Isabella may be different from other children, and the couple may expect other people to stare at their daughter’s unusual features. However, they still love her just as she is, and other people’s opinion does not matter and do not hinder the couple from giving her all the love she deserves.
“I knew my motherhood journey was going to be different. But I knew my baby deserved to be celebrated. I was ready to talk about her, answer questions and raise awareness about her condition,” Eliza shared.
Isabella remains to be a lively and friendly child despite other people’s reactions to her appearance and condition. She is not affected by the negativity of other people.
“Isabella is so vivacious, full of life and love. She is so intelligent and resilient. She loves attention and wants to learn. She is full of energy and has so much enthusiasm,” Eliza says. “We love Isabella more than anything. She is everything we ever wanted and more.”
Isabella may look different, but she brings happiness and joy to the family and everyone who came to know the child who is full of positivity in life.
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Credits to: © Eliza Bahneman (Eliza Jamkochian)/Facebook
