Before it is finally time to meet the little bundle of joy that has grown in their mother’s womb, all parents have an exciting nine months ahead of them.
There is simply no better feeling than when your baby finally comes into the world and you hear she’s crying for the first time.
However, the birth of a child may surprise some parents in ways they never could have imagined.
Mary and Brad Kish from Illinois, USA, patiently awaited their daughter’s arrival in the latter part of the 1990’s.
During Mary’s pregnancy, there were no issues, and the delivery went well. When their daughter Michelle was born, there were no signs that anything was wrong.
However, the doctors immediately recognized a problem when she opened her eyes. Before they looked into the medical literature and talked to a geneticist at a different hospital, they didn’t know what it was.
Michelle’s face was round and childish. She also lost hair, and her nose looked almost like a small beak.
She turned out to have Hallermann-Streiff syndrome, a genetic condition so rare that only 250 cases are known to exist worldwide.
At the Children’s Memorial Hospital, where Michelle was born, no one had ever seen it in person. My heart broke when the doctor told us that we had Hallermann-Streiff syndrome. According to Michelle’s mother, who spoke with Daily Mail, “I was worried how are we going to care for our child who had a rare genetic disorder that was one in five million.”
Michelle has 26 of the 28 symptoms that are characteristic of this illness. Despite the fact that it only affects one in five million people, this disease is responsible for numerous health issues.
Michelle has dwarfism in addition to Hallermann-Streiff syndrome, which means that despite being only two years apart, she barely reaches above her sister’s waist.
Because of her condition, Michelle needs a lot of help, like an electric wheelchair, a hearing aid, a sensor, a respirator, and visual aids.
Additionally, the syndrome necessitated a significant amount of hospitalization for Michelle and her family. Even though she is 25 years old today, her appearance frequently leads people to believe that she is a child.
“Michelle, who is now 20 years old, is as intelligent as a poodle and happier than ever. Mary, her mother, told the Daily Mail in 2018 that “she is one of the happiest 20 years old I know.”
She brings joy into the lives of others. She is aware that she is unique, but she does not let it break her.
Others’ lives are brightened by her presence. She is aware that she is unique, but she does not let that define her.
She hopes, among other things, to get a boyfriend like her big sister did. She hopes she will have long hair, but she doesn’t care about her height because almost everyone is taller than her.
Additionally, she longs to become a doctor.
I really admire Michelle’s personality, so watch the video below to learn more about her!