A mother from Idaho, born with osteogenesis imperfecta, has defied medical science and carried a baby through 32 weeks of pregnancy despite warnings that the baby would crush her frail body. Trisha Taylor, 32, is now happily raising her 5-year-old son with her husband, Michael Taylor, amid the obstacles of her genetic condition.
In 2016, Trisha welcomed Maven into the world via C-section. However, before getting pregnant and having two miscarriages, the mother knew the risks of having a baby in her fragile state.
Trisha relayed that her doctors used "could" a lot to convince her not to push through with her pregnancy plans, saying she or the baby "could die." She said that she didn't have time for the "coulds" and happily welcomed the confirmation of her pregnancy with her husband.
Doctors had to watch Trisha closely since she also developed pre-eclampsia or severe high blood pressure, raising her pregnancy risk. In a video, the mother said that her biggest challenge while pregnant with Maven was breathing well. As the baby grew, her lungs had a harder time functioning well as her baby belly was pressing on her lungs.
At 31 weeks, the pregnant mom was admitted to the hospital because she was coughing incessantly to make air. The doctors said that she needed to deliver her baby to save both their lives.
A Healthy Baby Boy
Maven stayed at the neonatal intensive care for a few more weeks as a premature baby. Trisha also had to remain in the hospital for additional treatments. The doctors advised her to regain her strength.
"To this day people still can't believe I gave birth to him," Trisha said. "They ask if Maven's my baby and I always tell them - very proudly - 'Yes, he grew in my belly.'"
Maven has grown to be a healthy boy and did not inherit his mother's genetic condition. During an ultrasound early in the pregnancy, the parents were aware of this, but they confirmed that the baby didn't have osteogenesis imperfecta when Maven's bones didn't break when his father held him.
Trisha, who stands at two feet only, is proud that her son is now taller than her. His growth has assured the mother that Maven is developing well since Michael is over six feet tall.
Trisha's Brittle Bone Disease
At birth, Trisha weighed a normal six pounds, but doctors immediately noticed that she had bowed arms and legs. An X-ray showed that she fractured 150 bones in her body within hours of her stay at the nursery. Following some tests, doctors diagnosed that she has the rare brittle bones disease, osteogenesis imperfecta. This meant that she would live most of her childhood in a wheelchair. She suffered bone fractures at least once a month.
At 12 years old, Trisha started a new treatment drug, pamidronate, which helped with bone fractures. This changed her life as she could sit independently, get out of bed, and wean off the oxygen tank that helped her breathe.
The medication also allowed Trisha to live independently at 17 and go off to college, where she met her husband. In an interview with Kidspot, the mother said they might likely adopt a baby one day because getting pregnant for a second time is no longer an option. Trisha said that she didn't want Maven to lose his mother at such an early age.
