You accept your children for who they are and who they will become as a parent. And this family is demonstrating that truth after their child was born with a bilateral cleft palate and a palate problem. They want to use this chance to raise awareness about their sons’ condition, given some degree of cruelty.
Despite the harsh words they have been hearing about their child’s condition, they have discovered that there are individuals with good hearts.
In an email to TODAY, 26-year-old Sara Heller addressed the issue. She stated in the message that a person has restored her faith in humanity. Being Brody’s parent has shown her that many people care and are eager to learn his story.
When Brody was born, his ultrasound revealed that he had a cleft lip and palate at 24 weeks. The initial devastation took its toll on her and her spouse, Chris Eidam, 30, of Omaha, Nebraska. They quickly recognized how remarkable their son looked, so they decided to post many pictures of him on the internet to share with others.
When they did, they weren’t sure if they’d made the correct decision. They definitely received a lot of good feedback, but people who were mean to a helpless newborn baby were also abundant.
When the parents began sharing images of their son online, they were hoping to raise public awareness. But certain individuals are unable to control themselves and make cruel remarks about Brody. It shattered their hearts.
In her own words, Sara wasn’t expecting to defend her 3-month-old infant when she was asked. She wasn’t sure how to respond when people ask why he differs from other babies. She can’t even imagine how terrible people can be because of what they see on the outside.
Instead of confronting others online, she instead decided to educate them.
On this day, as she was having lunch with Brody and some of her pals, a server approached her with a folded napkin in hand. She assumed it was a note from someone at first. But when she opened it, she was left speechless.
It was a $1,000 check with the message “For the beautiful baby” in the memo line.
The message left by the anonymous donor was read by both of them, and tears streamed down their faces. They were happy tears because she couldn’t seem to find the words to express her feelings. She knew how much money would be useful for Brody as a result of reading the note.
The check helped to pay some of Brody’s medical expenses. Aside from the financial assistance offered by this stranger, the empathy they received from other people has reminded her and her family of the goodness in people.
2,650 infants are born with a cleft palate in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 4,440 babies are born with a cleft lip with or without a cleft palate each year in the United States. The newborns with these issues need to have their lips and palates repaired through surgery. They might require speech therapy or rehabilitation to learn how to talk and eat in most situations.
The cause of cleft lip and palates, a health problem in which the tissues fail to unite during pregnancy, has yet to be discovered.