CHINA :: Baby XX

Baby XX

In December 2011, another bundle of joy joined us on this earth, a baby girl named XX. A moment that should have brought great wonder, brought a dim future for this little one—she was born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus.

Hydrocephalus is a buildup of fluid inside the skull, leading to brain swelling. The name literally means "water on the brain." This buildup of fluid puts pressure on the brain, pushing the brain up against the skull and damaging or destroying brain tissues. Hydrocephalus may start while the baby is growing in the womb. It is commonly present with myelomeningocele (aka spina bifida), a birth defect involving incomplete closure of the spinal column.*

Thankfully, our partners in China are turning XX's once dim future into a bright one. We learned that she recently received her initial surgery, a great blessing. Her road to recovery is long—it holds numerous post operative medical appointments as well as a follow-up CT scan—but we have great hope for this little one. Thanks to Swallows Nest, she will be in the arms of people who love her and are trained in the care of children with such conditions.

The Red Thread Promise will be supporting Baby XX’s post surgery care until her adoption. It is estimated that she may be in foster care for two or more years due to the severity of her special needs.

Baby XX is still very young so we don’t know what other complications she may have. Please keep XX and her caregivers in your thoughts and prayers and consider helping The Red Thread Promise show this little one how much we care. Donations can be made through PayPal (upper right) or sent via check to the address at the top right.

* Excerpts from the U.S. National Library of Medicine