When her daughter was born, Eliza realized the reaction was not what she expected it would be.
Eliza Jamkochian Bahneman, 36, and her husband Erik, 41, were overjoyed to learn they were carrying a baby in 2018 after 9 months of trying.
She was excited as any new mom would be. Eliza immediately shared the amazing news with her family and everyone was simply ecstatic for the couple.
Bahneman was so happy that she shared her pregnant experience with her sister, sister-in-law, and several of her friends. They all had kids at the same time and were all due around the same time. The expecting mother eagerly anticipated the arrival of her miraculous child into this wonderful world.
Eliza was prepared and she was ready to deliver her baby on her due date. But, of course, her baby had other ideas.
Little Isabella, also known as Bella, did not come out on her due date, but instead, she came out a month before that. Despite the change of plans, Eliza and Erik are ready for the earlier arrival of their daughter.
On October 2018, Isabella was born after 12 hours of labor. She weighed 512 pounds, but her size wasn’t the only thing different about her.
Disconcerted, Bahneman noted a murky quiet as murmurs filled the space. She said as she reflected on the time that ‘why isn’t anyone wishing her well? Why is her spouse feeling so uncertain and afraid? Her mum won’t even look at her, why?’
Following Bella’s transfer to the NICU, many testing and assessments revealed that the infant had Treacher Collins, a genetic condition that affects the development of the facial bones and causes deformities.
Bella’s condition also brought about other issues. The baby had hearing loss, a small and recessed jaw, microtia, hard and soft cleft palate, and a small airway.
“When she was born, I noticed a really small folded ear, but I was told babies look a bit weird when they are first born, so I didn’t think much of it. But as I looked around, I knew something was wrong. Nobody was congratulating me, and my mother and husband looked confused and scared. It was strangely silent and then the doctor left the room. I had no idea what was going on.”
But a mother’s love is more than just appearance. It is unconditional, no matter who you are or what you have.
Eliza finally held Isabella and all she can think about was how happy she was to finally meet her daughter.
“I finally got to hold Isabella she looked different. But I fell in love with her instantly and knew everything was going to be okay.”
Isabella may be different but her parents love her just the same. It is quite expected that people will stare at their daughter’s unusual features, but this will not hinder them from giving her all their love.
“I knew my motherhood journey was going to be different. But I knew my baby deserved to be celebrated. I was ready to talk about her, answer questions and raise awareness about her condition,” Eliza shared.
In spite of her condition and the reaction of some people to her appearance, Isabella remains to be a lively and friendly child.
“Isabella is so vivacious, full of life and love. She is so intelligent and resilient. She loves attention and wants to learn, she is full of energy and has so much enthusiasm, ” Eliza says.
Isabella may look different, but she is her parents’ joy and happiness.
“We love Isabella more than anything. She is everything we ever wanted and more.”
Sources: facebook, hrtwarming.com, parentingisnteasy.co
