Two 13-month-year-old boys were successfully separated at Montefiore Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital in Bronx, New York, several weeks ago, making this the 59th craniopagus separation surgery since the early 1950’s.
Now the young boys, Jadon and Anias McDonald have been moved to rehab due to their success, which has been documented by mother Nicole. Including the young boy’s saying “dada”
Both twin boys were attached at the head endured a 16 hour procedure led by expert, Dr. James Goodrich.
According to the mother of the twin boys, Nicole, Goodrich categorized it “as the hardest case he’s ever encountered.”
CNN reported that, the parents of Jadon and Anias McDonald, agonized over making the decision to proceed with surgery because of the major risks, including death or long term brain damage for one or both the young little ones.
Mrs. McDonald stated in her Friday 5 a.m. social media post shortly after the rare surgery completed that, “The amount of vasculature involved was much more complex than all of those high-tech imaging systems could show. There was a point where Dr. Goodrich debated stopping the whole procedure because it was just too risky but an opening presented itself and they went for it and it ended up being the right call.”
But, the future of the Illinois based twins, Jadon and Anias are unknown. During the dissection, “Anias’ blood pressure and heart rate dropped with each cut of the dura (the covering of the brain). These drops have stabilized since being fully separated but he is on medication to keep this stable.”
During these times, Mrs. McDonald is calling on her faith. Saying, “It really now is up to God in terms of how he recovers. They are predicting that at first he may not be able to move one or both sides of his body, based on the area of brain that was dissected (an area of his right parietal lobe–likely the motor cortex–the area that controls movement). Because he had to re-route so much vasculature, so quickly, they will be on the look out for brain swelling and stroke. If there was ever a time that we needed prayers in this entire voyage…this would be the time. I keep picturing Anias smiling behind his right middle finger in his mouth.”
“Twenty four hours ago he was so rambunctious…full of life,” she said of her son pre-surgery. Now, she’s praying,”God please give me my baby back. Jadon is such a rock star. They said he hardly batted an eye through the whole procedure in terms of maintaining his vitals. It’s a bit surreal to sit here and type this…I should feel so happy…TWO SEPARATE BABIES!!!…and yet I ache with the uncertainty of the future.”
Opening up that, “I didn’t cry until the surgeon’s left the room. I was barely able to even utter the words “thank you” because of the pit that still sits heavy in my stomach. We are standing on the brink of a vast unknown.”
As far as they can see, “the next few months will be critical in terms of recovery and we will not know for sure how Anias and Jadon are recovering for many weeks.”
Including a recent development that happened hours after her original post, saying that Anias’ incision had to be reopened.
To help off set the cost, the family has started a GoFundMe page.
Here at team Faithwire, we continue to lift up Team McDonald in prayer.