Throughout the nine months of pregnancy, a mother’s heart is filled with anticipation, excitement, and a hint of doubt. When an expecting parent gives birth, they all want the child to be healthy and happy. Regretfully, our expectations are not always met by the way things work out.
Jennie Wilklow, of Highland, New York, was looking forward to meeting her daughter. Jennie and her spouse were overcome with happiness the moment they held their baby.
After multiple ultrasounds and check-ups with the physician, the results consistently showed a healthy baby.
This assurance put their minds at rest, and they had no idea that their darling Anna would be born with a disease that would permanently alter their lives.
At 34 weeks, Jennie had a C-section to deliver Anna. She peered into Anna’s eyes when the physicians placed the baby in her arms and felt an overwhelming sense of love.
Everything was going fine with their cute little one. However, Jennie couldn’t help but feel apprehensive about her husband when he came to visit her.
Jennie told Cafe Mom, “My husband’s silence scared me.” I pressed him for additional information as the doctor was leaving the room, and he just sat there looking shocked. With remorse, he added, “It’s bad.”
Upon meeting her gaze, her spouse said, “Jennie, she has the most beautiful soul.” Jennie did not know what such terms meant at the moment. Her mind was racing, but she had no idea what was wrong.
Anna suffered from an uncommon disease known as harlequin ichthyosis, which showed up as thick, severely fractured diamond-shaped plates. Jennie said to Cafe Mom shortly after giving birth, “Her delicate skin hardened as they desperately tried to help her.”
The dramatic splitting that followed the hardening left her slathered in open wounds throughout her body.”Anna prevailed despite the physicians’ concerns about her prognosis. She was quite beautiful,” Jennie proudly declared.
Unfortunately, there is no known cure for harlequin ichthyosis. The treatment involves regular showering and thorough skin moisturization, which takes consistent effort. I used to bathe her for hours every few hours, slathering her in Vaseline.
It might not seem like much, but it was one of the things I struggled with the most. I had visualized all the amazing clothes my child would have,” Jennie said.
She set up the “harlequin diva” Instagram page and started posting images of Anna there in an effort to raise awareness of this illness. Through her articles, she sheds light on the challenges faced by parents of children with harlequin ichthyosis on a daily basis.
“Anna won many people’s hearts and is the pinnacle of perfection in its purest form.” She has a natural capacity to carry out these mundane tasks. The world celebrates with us every time we achieve a new milestone, Jennie said to Cafe Mom.
She went on, “I now realize that my love for my daughter is the reason Anna was given to me.” Because we were destined to be together, we will work together to redefine what true beauty means to the world.
In addition to being beautiful in her own right, Anna is fortunate to have parents who will stop at nothing to ensure that she has a happy existence.
Let’s help spread the news about Anna’s story by inviting our friends and family to read this article on Facebook. Despite our differences, we can work together to raise awareness of and respect for the incredible beauty and power that each individual holds.
Homeless lady given free ‘ugly’ abandoned trailer, but wait till you see what she made of it
Homesteading is becoming the life-style many people opt for during the recent years. It is characterized by subsistence agriculture, home preservation of food, and even small scale production of textiles and clothing. It also includes some craft work for household use or sale.
The reason why this life-style is gaining more and more popularity is that is helps people to maintain a certain standard of living that doesn’t require too much finances.
One person who got devoted to homesteading is Mama V. This woman got tired of the busy life at the city and as she has always had this dream of building a cottage for herself in the isolated woods, she eventually left the metropolitan life behind and moved into an old mini-school bus.
The mini-school bus seemed like the perfect home at first, but since she had her cats and dogs with her, the place was a bit crowded so she started considering getting an additional room, which wasn’t an easy thing to plan or construct. On top of that, she didn’t really have the finances for such a project.
But then, one of her neighbors invited her over and offered her his old and abandoned trailer that stood in his yard for many years.
He wanted to get rid of it, but since Mama V liked it and got ecstatic about it, he gave it to her for free.
“She’s ugly, but she’s mine!” Mama V said of her trailer.
In order to be able to renovate the trailer she was forced to sell her bus. She was aware that turning that old trailer into a home would take a lot of time and energy, but she was ready to give the project a go.
Mama V, however, couldn’t do it herself so she asked her two pals, Jayme and Kevin, to assist her.
The trailer, although very dirty and in need of some repairs, was structurally good and leak-free. On top of that, it already had a functioning microwave oven/stove combo, and refrigerator.
After a long day of cleaning, Mama V’s friends left and let her enjoy her new piece of heaven.
Among the rest, the trailer contained two full propane tanks, a pull-out couch, a full kitchen, two twin beds, a bathroom with a shower and bathtub, a panel that kept track of utility usage, and a lot of storage.
Once she settles in, Mama V would start her own garden and a life she has always dreamed of.
She’s glad that she and her pets would have a place to call home and that she’s surrounded by great neighbors who help her with whatever she needs as she embarks on this new adventure.
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