Amy and Michael Howard were ecstatic to finally meet their cute triplets. However, not everything was good news when the triplets were born in October of 2016. Doctors discovered that the three boys had a rare condition of the skull called craniosynostosis.
This rare condition means that one or more of the joints in the babies’ skulls are fused prematurely. Kaden, Jackson, and Hunter underwent a procedure that had never been performed before. It was known as a mildly invasive endoscopic procedure. The premature fusions in the brains of the triplets occurred at the sutures. This fusion would have caused a significant restriction on the growth of their brains. Normally, a child’s skull increases as the brain grows.
These triplets would have had abnormally shaped heads and brains suffering from tremendous amounts of pressure. If the rare condition wasn’t treated in a timely manner, there was a good chance that the children would have suffered from vision and brain damage.
In reality, craniosynostosis isn’t a truly rare condition. It was the circumstances of this particular case that made the situation rare. The odds of three triplets developing the same condition are very low. After the successful procedures, the triplets were able to go home with their parents only after a few days in the hospital.
The triplets are doing perfectly today. Despite their skull condition, the procedures were able to greatly improve their quality of life for the future and the immediate present. Fortunately, the boys aren’t experiencing any medical problems after their surgeries.
All three of the triplets recently visited David A. Chesler, MD, Ph. D, a pediatric neurosurgeon. Chesler is a leading expert on the condition of craniosynostosis. Following the surgeries, the triplets had to wear specially-designed helmets to protect their sensitive skulls. After wearing these helmets for 23 hours each day for many months, they were finally able to take them off.
Dr. Chesler was very satisfied with the progress that the infants were making. They aren’t showing any signs of the condition anymore. Kade, Jackson, and Hunter overcame their condition and defied all odds with their incredible recoveries. These three brave children have inspired others to never give up when faced with difficult challenges in life.
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