The young couple, who already had 1-year-old son, were excitedly awaiting the arrival of their second baby. The pregnancy had gone well and according to the ultrasounds everything was normal. The day the young mother gave birth, however, brought them a big surprise. When their little baby was born, the doctor looked at the newborn’s face and saw something entirely different.
When the young and brave mom, Courtney, went into labor with her second child Brenna, she and her husband Evan were excited. They were finally going to meet their baby girl and their son Connor’s little sister. When Courtney gave birth, however, she couldn’t even hold her little girl. The doctors had to whisk Brenna off to intensive care. She wasn’t moving, she had an extremely high temperature, and her body was covered in sores and thick white scales. It was two weeks before they could hold their little girl (SEE PHOTO).
After an examination by the doctors, Courtney and Evan learned that Brenna was born with a hereditary disease called Harlequin ichthyosis. Essentially, this disease causes Brenna’s body to produce skin at a rate 10 times faster than normal. This, naturally, causes a number of problems. According to the experts, it’s a serious genetic condition that primarily affects the skin. With this condition, a baby is born with plates of thick skin that crack and split apart. They can pull at and distort facial features, as well as cause problems with breathing and eating. The child’s skin will be red and swollen.
During an interview, the young couple said that the family’s daily life naturally looks quite different now than what they expected it to be as a family of four. Their nightly routine is gently bathing her with a cloth to wipe away extra skin and combing what little hair she is able to grow. There are many physical challenges that come with the rare disease. Plenty of extra care and doctor’s visits are something that the couple deals with daily. Despite it all, they are incredibly positive people who take it one day at a time.
