Mom was startled by her newborn daughter's 'huge smile'—days later, she realized it was a warning sign
Noticing certain signs can be life-saving in many cases. One mom was surprised to see that her daughter had been born with a really huge smile. The woman, Vanessa, also noticed that her daughter, Emma's, pinky finger had been turned inwards. The mom had an inkling that something was amiss and raised her concerns in front of the doctors, who told her that everything was alright. Later on, Vanessa learned that the signs were related to a rare syndrome her daughter had, per Kidspot.com.
Vanessa shared that she had struggled during all three of her pregnancies because of her bicornuate uterus. Her uterus was heart-shaped and she had excess amniotic fluid. But her pregnancy was a little bit different with Emma, as she measured really small on all the ultrasounds. The mom also got various blood tests done during her pregnancy and everything was fine. But when Emma was finally born, Vanessa knew that something was wrong as the baby's eyes were closed and she had a huge smile on her face. The doctor told the mom that she was "looking for things," and the baby and mom were discharged from the hospital after eight days. But the woman did her own research and found out that an inward pinky could be a sign of several syndromes. She was surprised that the doctors hadn't paid attention to that.
Eventually, her daughter was diagnosed with Williams syndrome after they went to see a cardiologist for her heart murmur when Emma was five weeks old. The syndrome is very rare and affects only 1 in 10,000 people, according to the mom. It is caused by the deletion of a region in the seventh chromosome. The condition causes heart problems, learning difficulties and distinctive facial features. Children with Williams syndrome don't necessarily get the condition from their parents and have a 50 percent chance of passing it on to their children, per the Cleveland Clinic. People with the illness can have a normal life expectancy, but it might be affected because of the complications related to the syndrome.
In a couple of weeks, the doctors were sure that the baby had Williams Syndrome. She was also put on life support for a week and the parents weren't sure if she was going to make it or not. The mom pointed out that people might mistake people with Williams syndrome as being happy all the time, but they go through all the different emotions as well. "When I first read about WS, I learned Emmy’s facial features would likely be different than ours. That was hard for me. Now I see how gorgeous her eyes, lips and grin are. I consider those the gifts of WS – along with her amazing personality," Vanessa explained. Emma grew up to have a really sociable and friendly personality.
"She is outgoing and uninhibited, funny, smart, sweet and caring. The other day, I took her to a bookstore for an impromptu kids' music class and Emmy jumped right in, laughing and singing," the mom shared in 2020. "Emmy struggles with fine and gross motor skills. It’s tough to grip a pencil, she struggles to hold her food tray in the school cafeteria and hold herself upright on the bench." She added, "She loves sports, but struggles in gym. I’ve witnessed the most beautiful parts of humanity when kids see her falling behind and help her along." The woman would love for her daughter to be able to "drive a car, go to college and get married (if she wants to)." She also hoped that Emma could have a great career and meaningful friendships.
More on Amplify
Family noticed something was off with 41-year-old dad — it led to a heartbreaking discovery