Pregnancy can be a challenging time for any woman. Beyond the physical strain of carrying a baby, there’s the constant worry that something might go wrong with the child.
Thankfully, most pregnancies go well, and the anxiety is replaced with relief the moment you hold your healthy newborn.
However, Jennie Wilklow didn’t get to feel that relief—instead, she faced a unique challenge.
Jennie’s pregnancy was fairly normal, and she and her husband eagerly awaited their baby. At every check-up, they were reassured that everything was fine.
But things took a turn when Jennie needed an emergency C-section at 34 weeks. Though the surgery and birth went smoothly, it soon became clear that something was wrong with Jennie’s daughter.
“When they took her out I heard her scream and they said: She is so beautiful.” These are the words every mother wants to hear, so I smiled and relaxed “, Jennie.
But seconds later, the mood was different in the room. The baby’s face was transformed.
Several nurses and doctors easily panicked when they saw what was happening to the newly redeemed daughter.
“They did everything to help her, but her skin became rock hard in seconds. After the skin solidified, it began to crack. It caused open wounds throughout her body. Behind the hills I saw their panicked faces and I asked if everything was OK.
After the doctor assured Jennie that they had things under control, she received sedative medicine that made her fall asleep.
When she awoke a few hours later, Jennie was informed by a doctor. It turned out that her newborn daughter Anna suffered from a condition called Harlequin ichthyosis.
She looked at her husband when she realized the seriousness that had happened.
“My husband’s silence scared me; he was only shocked when the doctor left. He just kept saying, “This is bad.”
The disease Harlequin ichthyosis is a gene defect that causes the skin to grow about 14 times faster than normal. It creates a redness all over the body, which also affects the eyes, mouth, nose and ears.
Children born with Harlequin ichthyosis usually die a few days after birth.
However, those who survive can expect a normal life span. But, unfortunately, they are also prone to suffer from complications and delays in development, especially when it comes to motor skills.
“I spent the next two days looking for information about her condition. I realized the poor quality of life that awaited her. I allowed myself to admit this thought, since it was only at that moment, at the most confused and lonely period of my life. There and then I thought it might be better if she died, ”Jennie says.
But it turned out to be a tough little girl Jennie gave birth to the world.
With the help of doctors and her family, Anna survived.
The parents eventually brought her home and they did their best to take care of Anna.
Jennie tells about the fight in the first few days:
“Every two hours I covered her with petroleum jelly and bathed her for several hours of the day. For many years I had dreamed of what my beloved daughter would wear, and even though it seemed so trivial, it was what I fought most for. ”
Despite the difficulties, Anna gave her mother a whole new perspective on life:
“I began to realize that if I put restrictions on what she could achieve, she will stay in development. That’s why I decided to put the bar high. I decided that the goal was that she could do what she wanted and the goals were the same for myself. “
Since then, Jennie has created one Instagram-konto who documents her and her daughter’s roller coaster to life’s journey.
“I now understand that I got her because of the love I already carry in my heart for my daughter. Anna was meant for me, and I for her, and together we will show the world how beautiful it can be ”.
What do you think of Jennie and Anna’s story? I think they show that there is room for both love, differences and warmth in an otherwise pretty cold world!
Sometimes not everything that one has imagined or dreamed of, but we can accept that everyone is born differently and that some people do not look like everyone else, then we have come a long way.
That Jennie is so open and dare to tell her and Anna’s history therefore means a lot.
Please share this with your friends and family if you also think that Anna is a super nice and tough little girl!