El Vientre Del Bebé No Deja De Crecer, El Médico Ve La Ecografía Y Le Pide A La Madre Que Abandone La Habitación

Preocupación

Aunque Brianna seguía riendo y jugando, algo iba muy mal: le estaba creciendo el estómago.

La espera de los resultados fue angustiosa para sus padres, que no sabían qué esperar.

Se hacían un millón de preguntas. ¿Era tratable? ¿Se pondría bien? 

Buenas Noticias 

A lo largo de los años, Angela y Jonah Robbins habían sido una pareja ideal.

Cuando se enteraron de su embarazo, se llenaron de alegría. Fue aún más emocionante descubrir que esperaban una niña. 

Esperaron su llegada con gran expectación, leyendo libros e inscribiéndose en clases de preparación al parto.

Las Cosas Parecían Ir Bien 

En el momento del nacimiento, Brianna parecía estar perfectamente sana. Sus padres estaban extasiados y se maravillaron durante horas de los diminutos dedos de sus manos y pies.

Su nueva vida en familia empezó pocos días después de traerla a casa del hospital. 

Los cariñosos padres no sabían que había algo grave en el interior de su bebé que no se había detectado en la ecografía, aunque el bebé parecía normal por fuera.

Estómago Hinchado 

Como cualquier otra niña, Brianna estaba sana y tenía buen apetito.

Cuando llegaba la hora de comer, siempre se ponía nerviosa. Para Angela era obvio que su bebé tenía el estómago hinchado todo el tiempo. 

Podía ser que la niña no estuviera digiriendo bien la leche materna. A pesar de que el problema era mucho más grave de lo que imaginaba, la madre no era consciente de ello.

¿Reacción Exagerada?

El bebé seguía hinchado incluso después de que Angela probara el agua de grifo. Cada día que pasaba, Angela veía que el estómago de Brianna crecía.

Tras ponerse frenética, Angela le dijo a su marido que debían llevarla de inmediato al hospital. 

Ante la reacción exagerada de su mujer, Jonás le dijo que se calmara: “La llevaremos por la mañana si sigue hinchada”. Por desgracia, su descuido le costó caro.

Una Visión Extraña

Angela se llevó el susto de su vida cuando por la mañana comprobó cómo estaba su bebé.

Al descubrir lo que había encontrado, jadeó y gritó horrorizada.

¿Qué le había pasado a su bebé? En la cuna de su hijo, descubrió una extraña criatura. Angela llamó a su marido, que entró corriendo en la habitación.

¿Qué Ocurrió?

Lo que vio hizo que el hombre cayera de rodillas llorando. ¿Qué le había ocurrido a su hijo? Recorrió el catre de arriba abajo. Sin embargo, lo ocurrido seguía siendo un misterio. 

El cuerpo de Brianna yacía allí, con la piel amarilla y el vientre más grande que antes.

Comparada con el dulce bebé que habían acostado en la cuna la noche anterior, tenía un aspecto diferente.

Hacer El Viaje

El sol de la mañana tiñó la piel de Brianna de un extraño color amarillo. Jonás y Ángela no sabían qué pensar.

Al principio, Jonás pensó que se trataba de un problema del bebé. Su mujer le regañó: “¡Te dije que teníamos que haber ido al hospital anoche! ”  

Intentando calmar a Brianna, Jonah cogió la bolsa de pañales de Brianna y se dirigió a la puerta, con cara de culpabilidad. “Vámonos ahora mismo”, dijo.

Consultar Al Médico

En un estado de angustia frenética, los padres fueron directamente a urgencias. Afortunadamente, un pediatra estaba de guardia para echar un vistazo al niño. 

A pesar de varias pruebas, los médicos no pudieron determinar el problema exacto. 

El pediatra jefe era un hombre amable y bajito llamado Dr. Hanson. Según dijo, “puede ser algo grave o algo menor, aún no podemos estar seguros. Por ahora, le hemos dado algunos suplementos para reforzar su inmunidad”. Los resultados de las pruebas aportarían más información.

¿Cuál Fue La Causa?

Con su hija enferma a cuestas, los preocupados padres volvieron a casa.

Su salud estaba fallando y ella no sabía por qué. A pesar de su aspecto, no era consciente de ello.

Ángela rezó por el bienestar de su hija. Durante los días siguientes, la vigiló de cerca. Supieron que algo iba muy mal cuando la coloración amarillenta no desapareció.

Estómago Hinchado

El estómago de Brianna siguió creciendo. Aunque tenía una enorme anomalía en el abdomen.

Seguía riendo y jugando con sus padres mientras ellos intentaban olvidarse de los resultados pendientes de las pruebas.

¿Se pondría bien su pequeña? ¿Habría algún tratamiento disponible para su hija? No tenían ni idea de qué esperar.

Llegan Los Resultados

Tras una serie de pruebas, los médicos diagnosticaron a Brianna atresia biliar. La noticia fue un duro golpe para Angela y Jonah. Estaban desolados porque su preciosa niña estaba enferma.

Los médicos les explicaron que Brianna no tenía vesícula biliar y que su hígado no funcionaba correctamente.

Sin tratamiento, su estado no haría más que empeorar y acabaría necesitando un trasplante de hígado para sobrevivir.

Cómo Sobrellevarlo

Angela y Jonah no cabían en sí de preocupación. Pasaron innumerables horas investigando el estado de Brianna y pidiendo consejo a los médicos. 

La llevaron a un especialista tras otro, esperando un milagro.

Se morían por dentro al saber que su hija estaba sufriendo tanto. ¿Cómo había podido pasarles esto?

Estas Son Sus Opciones

Muchos médicos dijeron a los padres que un donante de hígado sería la mejor opción para salvar a la pequeña Brianna.

Los padres sabían que sería una tarea difícil encontrar un donante compatible y que la lista de espera era larga. 

Pasaron meses sin que se encontrara un donante. Angela y Jonah estaban cada vez más desesperados. Veían impotentes cómo su hija se debilitaba más y más cada día que pasaba.

Elegir Bien

Una noche, Jonás se sentó con Ángela y tomó una decisión que cambiaría su vida.

Quería donar su propio hígado para salvar la vida de Brianna. 

Ángela dudó al principio, pero Jonás insistió. Era perfectamente compatible con Brianna y sabía que él era su mejor oportunidad de sobrevivir. Ángela quedó impresionada por la valentía de su marido.

El Sacrificio De Un Padre

Pasaban los días y seguían sin encontrar un donante adecuado. Jonás se acercó de nuevo a su mujer y le propuso donar su hígado a su hija.

Jonás estaba decidido a salvar la vida de su hija. Estaba decidido a donarle una parte de su propio hígado.

Fuera cual fuera el riesgo, estaba dispuesto a correrlo por su hija.

Un Ángel De La Guarda

Finalmente, se encontró un donante de órganos justo a tiempo. Era un anciano, Arthur, que se había inscrito como donante de órganos.

Era anciano, pero su hígado aún estaba lo bastante sano para ser utilizado e iba a servir para dos niñas. 

Fue un momento agridulce para Angela y Jonah, pues sabían que otra persona tenía que sufrir en su vida para que su hija viviera. Arthur fue un héroe.

Se Necesita Un Equipo

Los médicos planificaron cuidadosamente la intervención. El cuerpo de Brianna era pequeño y frágil.

Tenían que tomar todas las precauciones posibles para que no contrajera ninguna infección.

Angela y Jonah pasaron algún tiempo en la capilla de la iglesia del hospital. No eran especialmente religiosos, pero hoy necesitaban todas las bendiciones posibles.

Tic Tac

La operación de trasplante estaba programada, y Ángela y Jonás estuvieron en vilo todo el tiempo. Se paseaban por la sala de espera, rezando por recibir buenas noticias. Jonás se impacientaba.

Fue un momento difícil y estresante para la pareja. Pasaron horas en la sala de espera, deseando que Brianna se recuperara sana y salva.

Los médicos tardaban mucho y cada minuto parecía una eternidad. Jonah decidió entrar en la sala para averiguar qué estaba pasando.

Drama En El Hospital

De repente, Angela oyó gritos procedentes del quirófano.

Giró la cara horrorizada y vio a seis corpulentos guardias de seguridad sacando a rastras a su marido del quirófano. 

“¡Suéltenme!”, gritó, “ahí dentro está mi hija”. Jonás luchaba por soltarse. Le habían atrapado y no le soltaban.

Ward Fight

The security guards were not playing around and held him fast. Angela begged them to let him go.

“Please try and understand our predicament; it’s been hours with no news,” she sobbed.

It never even crossed her mind to ask why they arrested her husband. What had he done, and why were they keen to manhandle him in such a terrible manner?

He Won’t Get Away With It

“He won’t get away with it,” Jonah screamed as the guards dragged him away. “I’ll get him for this! I’ll make him pay!” 

Angela’s worry split in the middle.

Half of it stayed with her ailing daughter, unconscious under the doctors’ scalpels, while the other half went to her husband, who must’ve seen something terrible enough to cause such a meltdown.

Following Him

Since she couldn’t bulge into the operating room as more guards had appeared at the door, she turned her attention to the corridor Jonah had disappeared into. 

It wasn’t like her husband to lose his cool like this, and Angela needed to find out what had triggered such a violent reaction from him.

If only she knew how bad the situation was.

Into The Halls

But as she was hurrying down the cold hall, the overwhelming scent of antiseptic all but caked into her skin and clothes, she saw a sight that made her halt. 

A police cruiser was pulling into the hospital parking lot.

Three more followed behind it, and about a dozen officers hopped out. They wasted no time in rushing into the building.

Officers

Angela didn’t know what to make of what she’d witnessed. She’d never seen officers swarming a hospital in all her years. 

But something within her screamed that this connected directly to what her husband had seen in the theater.

What was going on in that operating room that even the police had to be called in?

Going Back

A worried Angela turned on her heels. Her husband could take care of himself in the face of trouble. Her little daughter couldn’t. 

She dashed down the hall, weaving through nurses and people seeking medical attention.

She turned the corner that led to the main theater where her daughter was. But what she saw wizened her insides.

In A Gurney 

The theater’s door was wide ajar, with a few nurses rolling the man who was supposed to donate part of his to liver to Brianna.

Angela didn’t even know the man was in the same operating room as her daughter. 

His nose was bleeding as if someone had broke it with a punch. Two officers were escorting him behind the nurses pushing his gurney. But that was the least worrying thing that would happen there.

The Surgeons Too?

The remaining officers had handcuffed two surgeons dressed in bloodied scrubs. The surgeons didn’t even put up a fight, only hurled out obscenities as the officers marched them away.  

Angela yelped when she realized the officers had dragged the surgeons out of the operation.

She stared at the blood on their scrubs with wide eyes. What was happening? Was her little angel okay? Who’s blood was that?

Going To Her

Angela screamed these questions as she hurried to the theater. She needed to know that her kid was okay before she’d let her mind ponder what was happening. 

But none of the nurses and the remaining officers would answer her.

She had to brute force her way past the heavily guarded door, keen on seeing her little angel.

Inside The Theater

Angela entered the room, her lips parting. Two new surgeons were still working, leaning over the operating table.

A glass barrier had sealed them in, ensuring no disturbance or germs entered the workspace. 

She couldn’t see Brianna and had to stand on her toes and crane her neck to get a glimpse beyond the surgeon’s shoulders.

Walk With Me

A man she’d never seen before asked her to walk out with him, maintaining that what was happening here was more than her family.

He was dressed in regular clothes, although there was an air of importance to how he carried himself. 

Angela followed her out. She folded her hands above her chest, her mind a step away from spiraling. “Make this fast,” she snapped.

A War Path 

Angela had been distraught about her daughter’s health for the past few days. She’d been worried that Brianna wouldn’t make it. 

But now that she and Jonah were so close to seeing their daughter come back to health, this had happened.

She was no longer distraught. The pain was morphing into an overpowering rage—woe to anyone who got in her path.

Fury

A mother’s fury burned within Angela’s veins, shining through her dark irises. “I said speak,” she snapped, and the man pulled her to the side.

“I am Chief Inspector Martin Kelvins,” he started. “I know you have many questions about what’s going on here.

It is a sensitive matter, ma’am, but your family is smack in the middle of it. I’m here to answer them, ma’am.”

Looking For Answers 

“Why did you interrupt my daughter’s surgery?”

Angela seethed. “Why did you arrest the man meant to save her life and the doctors who wanted to see the process through?”

“Because if we were a minute late, you would have lost your daughter, Mrs. Robbins,” the inspector said. “As I said, this is more than your family.”

Down The Hall

The inspector’s words bore deep into Angela. “What do you mean by that?” she asked, and the inspector asked her to accompany him down the hall.

Their walk was quiet, unsettling. The inspector opened a door that fed into a waiting lounge.

At the furthest end of the room sat Jonah, who shot to his feet the moment he saw Angela.

Is She Safe?

“Is Brianna safe,” he asked, his voice a screech. Had he been screaming? His knuckles were bloodied.

“The remaining surgeons are working to stabilize her condition,” said the inspector.

Angela could feel a weight lift off her shoulders. But Jonah’s face fell the moment he heard the inspector’s answer. Wasn’t he glad his daughter’s operation was done?

Isn’t It A Good Thing?

His head fell into his trembling hands, and he cursed, continuously tapping his leg against the cold floor.

“This can’t be happening,” he whispered. His eyes were wet with tears when he lifted his head.

“Why?” Angela asked. “Isn’t this a good thing?” Jonah stared at her, his eyes broadening. “Oh, you don’t know, do you?”

The Truth Is Laid Bare 

“Know what?” Angela asked. “There wasn’t any liver to be donated, Mrs. Robbins,” the inspector said. “That’s why my team is here.

The man we arrested, together with the two surgeons, is part of a dangerous crime ring in the city.

They prey on vulnerable parents like yourself and lie to them that they are donating organs to save their kids’ lives. But the surgeons declare the kids dead and steal their body parts to sell off in the black market.”

What Her Husband Did

Angela was speechless. “So, all of this, the good news about a liver donor, was all a lie?” she stammered. “I am afraid it was,” the inspector answered.

“We are lucky your husband stormed into the theater when he did.

He’s the one who called us after he found the donor walking around the theater room instead of being out cold on an operating table.”

The Least Of Her Worries 

Angela reached a hand to Jonah, rubbing his forearm as her tears flowed.

Wasn’t it enough that their daughter was suffering this much? Did someone want to rob them of her?

“Those three men are going away for a very long time,” the inspector said. He had no idea that that was the least of Angela’s worries.

New Plan

“What do we do now?” Angela asked Jonah as soon as the inspector left the room.

They had been so close to the end that she could almost taste it. Now they were back in square one.

Jonah patted the seat next to him, and she took it. He pulled her closer, hugging her from the side. “I’m going to do what I should have done from the get-go.”

The Best Thing In His World

Jonah made plans to donate part of his liver to Brianna. That had been the original plan, and he was going to see it through. He didn’t listen when people tried to warn him against it.

Some said it would be painful. Others maintained that it would never work. Others said he’d die in the process. But Jonah didn’t care.

This was his daughter, the best gift his wife had ever blessed him with. He’d die first before he let anything bad happen to her.

Keep Going 

The ordeal with the donor and the two surgeons had put the Robbins on edge.

But they wouldn’t relent until their daughter was healthy.

They made the necessary preparations, and before Jonah knew it, three nurses were hovering above him as the anesthesia kicked in. It was now or never.

Next Step, Please

The operation was successful, but its aftermath was a nerve-wracking pain. But Angela could see that Jonah was content with his actions. All they needed to do now was give the liver part to Brianna.   

The doctors wheeled Brianna into the theater that same evening. Angela and Jonah waiting anxiously for the process to complete.

Jonah was still dressed in the patient’s attire and seated in a wheelchair. He was in pain and should’ve been in bed resting. But nothing would stop him from being here today.

Is It Over?

Finally, they saw the doors to the theater room open. When the doctors finally emerged, they looked exhausted.

Angela’s eyes opened wide when she saw them. The doctor saw her and looked away.

“Doctor doctor,” she jumped up and ran towards them, “how is she? Did the liver take in her body?” The worried mother searched the doctor’s face for answers to her child’s wellbeing.

Sitting On The Fence

But the more she searched, the less answers she got. Eventually, the doctor let out a heavy sigh and motioned to the couch.

He informed them that the operation had taken eight grueling hours because it had been touch and go the entire time. He had previously warned Angela and Jonah that it would take time for Brianna’s body to heal.

However, at that point, there was no guarantee that the transplant would be successful.

Stunned

The surgery was a difficult one from the start, and the doctors still didn’t know if it was successful or not. But they chose to keep Brianna sedated for the next few days, just in case.

If she woke up immediately and things went wrong, the results would’ve been catastrophic.

So, the doctor decided that the best way forward was to keep her sedated until they knew how her body would react.

Mixed Feelings

Neither of them knew what to say. They were happy that their daughter had made it through the surgery.

But knowing that she wasn’t out of the woods yet scared them.

They were under the assumption that she would come out of the operating room and be fine. But things turned out to be far more complicated than that.

On A Whim

They watched as Brianna was pushed out of the operating room, and they followed.

But the sight they were met with horrified them. They didn’t expect things to be that bad.

However, they weren’t going to back down. Angela and Jonah watched over Brianna in shifts. They wanted her to know that she would never be alone.

Heartbreaking Sight

But it wasn’t easy for the couple. Day in and day out, they sat there watching their little girl, looking like an angel.

She was still in a deep sleep. And even though they knew the truth, they couldn’t help but wonder if she was still with them.

At times, it really didn’t look like it, and because of that, they began wondering if she would ever wake up.

Eyes Open

Then one day, she did. The doctor came in, injected something in her IV, and Brianna finally woke up.

She was groggy and a little confused, but that was more than her parents could’ve asked for. 

Brianna still looked a little strange with the incubator around her and all the pipes in her arms. But as soon as she saw her parents, she smiled and reached out for them. It was a small gesture, but meaningful gesture.

The Best Day Ever

Unable to help herself, Angela let out a little laugh. The relief she felt was overwhelming, and she could tell that Jonah felt the same way.

He stumbled toward the incubator, and as soon as he put his hands on it, tears started flowing down his cheeks.

Angela had never seen her husband so vulnerable before, but she knew exactly how he felt.

Getting Better

Over the next few days, Brianna began to recover. The yellow tint faded from her skin, and she started to gain weight.

It was everything Angela and Jonah were hoping for, and they were overjoyed with her progress. 

They knew that they had been given a second chance, and they weren’t going to waste it. But they weren’t out of the woods yet. Their baby would need a lot of special care to avoid a relapse.

A New Life

Despite her newfound health, Brianna was still far from being a healthy baby. She required special care and attention.  But her parents were all too happy to provide it. 

They were willing to spend the countless hours visiting doctors and making sure that Brianna was getting the best possible care.

But Jonah knew that wouldn’t come cheap. He was starting to wonder how he was going to pay for it all.

A Man With A Plan

Jonah knew what had to be done, but he wasn’t going to miss a second of his daughter’s life because he needed a second job. So he came up with a solution that benefited everyone.

He explained the situation to his boss and asked if he could work from home instead.

His boss agreed. And not long after that, he got a second work-from-home job to cover the extra costs. Everything seemed to be going in the right direction.

Better And Better

Over the next few weeks, Angela and Jonah were able to take their daughter home. Brianna was recovering, and the more she did, the looked more like a regular girl. 

With each month that passed, Brianna grew stronger and healthier. But Angela and Jonah would never forget what they went through.

And they would always be grateful for every day that they had with their daughter.

It’s The Little Things

Angela and Jonah cherished every moment they had with Brianna.

They took pictures of her every single day and always made sure that one of them was with her at all times in case something special happened.

They went to every single doctor’s appointment together, and every time the doctor told them everything was fine, they felt a little weight lifting from their hearts.

A Special Story

Angela and Jonah learned two very important things during this journey. One was how to appreciate everything and everyone in their lives.

And the second was that they were stronger together.

Despite everything they had gone through while on that roller coaster, Angela and Jonah were closer than they had ever been. It bonded them in ways they couldn’t begin to explain.

What’s Next?

When Brianna was at her strongest, the couple started planning for the future. They talked about the trips they wanted to take her on and the places they wanted her to visit.

Jonah was excited about teaching her to swim. And Angela couldn’t wait to watch her take her first steps. 

They were excited to see what the future held for their little family. And as they watched Brianna grow and thrive, they knew that they had truly experienced a miracle.

It Wasn’t The End

However, Angela and Jonah knew that their long road to recovery didn’t end there. They would still be faced with a lot of challenges, and they might even end up where they started.

But they also knew that it didn’t matter what was thrown their way. They would face it as the strong family they were.

Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.