Hailee-Sue's Story

This is a story about my daughter, Hailee-Sue. She was born October 18 2002, at 8 pounds 12 ounces. To me she was a normal healthy beautiful baby girl. The nurse came in, as usual, to bathe my baby girl. To her surprise, my baby had no anus! She was sent to the children's hospital 2 hours away, 6 hours after being born.

Somewhere between the two hospitals she made a bowel movement, they realized she had a fistula in her vagina opening. I was sort of relieved, but still nervous of what was to come. The doctor kept her in the hospital for 3 days then let us take her home. We were to come back in 2 weeks for her first operation.

Before the operation they did an ultrasound on her and found that her kidney was big and her spine was long. They proceeded with her first operation and we were to worry about the rest later.

They gave my baby girl her colostomy. It was rough at first, getting used to a baby that had a bag on her little belly, bags falling off, not fitting, all the fun stuff that comes along with it. but we managed.

Operation #2 was to fix her bottom, they put her bum the way it was meant to be and finally operation #3 was to put my beautiful baby girl back together. We then found out that there may be a problem when she is older, she may not have complete control of her bowel movements and we won't know till she is potty training. I am not sure if this will mean more surgery, I am praying not.

Now I have had to take her for an MRI about her spine, when she is going to the bathroom sitting on her bum, you can feel and see it bending, I don't know if this will affect her because she is now walking on furniture with no problems. We are still visiting the doctor every other week to probe her, to dilate the anus, and I am now allowed to do this at home, my poor baby girl has been through so much, and is the most happy baby girl in the world.

I have tried to find other mothers with this problem, but don't know where to look. My email address is maryandtiff@yahoo.com if anyone knows where I can find a parents support group.

Maryanne

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