Rhiannon Ingle
A mum has revealed the extraordinary story of how her baby was 'born twice' due to a rare condition.
Lisa Coffee, who hails from Ebbsfleet Valley in Kent, opened up about the her son Luca's surgery and the 'emotional journey' it's been for her and her family.
The surgery in question saved Luca's life and mum Lisa 'couldn’t be more grateful' for how everything panned out in the end.
Lisa, 23, first learned about Luca's condition during her pregnancy.
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Before Luca was born, he had surgery for spina bifida - a birth defect where a baby's spine and spinal cord does not develop properly in the womb, causing a gap in the spine which can lead to various complications, such as mobility issues.
At the 27-week stage, doctors performed a rare foetal surgery where Luca was briefly taken out of Lisa's womb to repair the defect, before being placed back inside to finish developing and continue the pregnancy.
The baby needed to be removed in order to undergo the lifesaving surgery before he was placed back and finally 'born' for the second time at 38 weeks.
While Luca was born without the ability to walk, the fighting tot defied the odds and, at just one years old, he’s already making progress through his physiotherapy sessions.
"Everyone is so happy and amazed that he’s able to do this," Lisa said. "It has been an emotional journey for my family, but in such a positive way.
She added: "I am so proud of how far he has come, and I’m incredibly grateful that the surgery has given him a chance to hopefully walk one day."
After multiple surgeries, the toddler is left with just a scar on his back and a condition known as Chiari malformation, where part of the brain (the cerebellum) extends into the spinal canal.
"I stayed in the NICU for about a week so they could monitor us, but it was worth it," Lisa recalled.
"The cerebellum is reversing itself and continues to improve. He has some fluid on his brain, but it has remained stable, so he hasn’t needed a shunt. His next MRI won’t be until he’s two years old."
"He just the most amazing little boy and we couldn’t be more grateful for how far he has come," the loving mum added.
Find out more about spina bifida on the official NHS website here.