When she was 21 weeks pregnant, Thembe Moyo learned from doctors that her pregnancy was a troubled one.
The fetus in her womb suffered from nasal encephalocele, which meant that much of his brain developed outside the skull on his forehead. Sipho Moyo, the child’s father, recounted his grief, recalling those traumatic moments: “In other words, he would not be human. He was not going to be a human being. ”
This case was a first for doctors who had never encountered an encephalocele of such a size, which is why their prognosis was reserved. However, the decision belonged to the parents, they were the ones who were forced to decide whether or not to give birth to such a baby.
They chose life, their son was born prematurely a few weeks before term, and after six days he underwent a marathon operation in which his brain was reintroduced into his skull.
Even though the odds seemed to be against him, the operation was a success, and 3 years after that tragic moment, Jayden is a healthy, happy, and beautiful child. His parents made the right decision!
“His smile, considering everything he’s gone through, he’s an amazing boy,” Mr. Moyo said.
Doctors say he shouldn’t have any long-term side effects.
Mr. and Mrs. Moyo have set up a charity called Face Up to provide support for people with facial differences.
“We live in a world now where everything has to be perfect, but life is not perfect. Jayden according to world standards is not perfect even now, but what’s perfect?,” Mrs. Moyo said.