Every first time your baby develops during pregnancy is special; from the first time you feel your baby kick to their first step, it’s a magical time.
Baby survives 2 open heart surgeries, smiles for the first time from hospital bed
But when your baby is born with health problems, these milestones are a miracle.
Theodore “Teddy” Nelson was born with half a heart and his parents had to wait until he was six months old to see his first smile. But when it happened, it was a more than magical moment for various reasons.
This sweet baby had just undergone his second open-heart surgery and had spent 185 days in the hospital when he turned to his parents and gave them the sweetest smile.
“After the second open-heart surgery, he had a stroke,” mother Alexandria Nelson, from Buffalo, New York, told “Good Morning America.”
She said they weren’t sure if Teddy would ever be able to smile again.
“We weren’t sure if the connections in his brain were still sufficient to put a smile on his face. It really gave a huge spark of hope for the future that he is able to overcome these obstacles.”
“That’s what the smile meant to us,” she said.
Teddy was born with a congenital heart defect, hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which affects normal blood flow through the heart. He had to undergo surgery 15 minutes after his birth in August 2019.
When Teddy reached this beautiful milestone, his parents were able to capture it on camera. The video has been shared by several sources on social media, and hundreds of thousands of people have fallen in love with his adorable face.
“His sister was in the room; Teddy loves to hear her voice and my husband, he has the special touch,” Alexandria said.
“Determination and Fighting Spirit”
Teddy will have to undergo a third operation in the coming weeks, but his family is looking forward to bringing their little sprout home for the first time.
“They call him feisty and we love that,” she said. “Half the time we don’t give him enough credit… he has so much determination and fighting spirit.
“I always say: ‘Theodore’s half heart produces twice as much love’.
How can you not love this beautiful face? A smile can mean so much, and we hope Teddy remains healthy.
We send all our best wishes for a strong, happy, and healthy life to Teddy.
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