Adam's Story

Adam
Age 7
Spina Bifida

Children's Hospital, New Orleans

Before Adam was born, doctors said he wouldn't survive. Diagnosed in utero with spina bifida, his back was wide open, the tip of his spine was broken and frayed, and the lower part collapsed. Instead of the joy of preparing for their first child, Adam's parents prepared for the heartbreak of losing him at birth.

But a team of specialists at Children's Hospital in New Orleans was ready for Adam less than a half hour after his birth. He underwent a 12-hour surgery where doctors inserted a shunt into his skull, removed part of his spine and closed the hole in his back. Because Adam's condition was so severe, he is paralyzed from the waist down and has no control over his bodily functions. He's had kidney damage and multiple surgeries, which he will continue to need throughout his life. But Adam is alive, a miracle his family only hoped for.

Now age 7, Adam has filled his family's lives with joy. He loves people and has a special way of making everyone feel that love. Adam has never met a stranger—the minute he meets someone, Adam charms his way into their life.