The nurse turned to the doctor. She held a copy of the scan in her hands. Everyone couldn’t wait to see the result. But the nurse still hadn’t handed it to them. She was standing in shock. Everyone was concerned.
They called out to her which made her snap out of it. But when he saw he truly understood her shock.
A Happy Family
Shelley and Rob Wall had a happy marriage. They lived an idyllic life in Cumbria in North West England with their two daughters.
They believed that they were good parents and that they had a lot of love to give. With such a great capacity to love, they decided that there was only one thing that they could do to give them peace of mind.
Another Child
After deciding that they wanted to have more children, Shelley successfully became pregnant. The pair were delighted at the prospect of another kid.
In a house full of girls, both Shelley and Rob wanted to have a son. For Rob, it would mean having a boy that he could bond with over football and sports that his daughters simply weren't interested in. However, a trip to the doctor's office put those dreams in doubt.
Scan Results
Trips to the hospital are regular occurrences during pregnancy. The health of both the mother and the baby need to be closely monitored.
Shelley and Rob didn't need to have this explained to them. They had been through it twice before and felt comfortable with the experience. But something awaited them that they had never prepared for.
Bad News
The Walls' comfort around doctors was conditional to previous experiences being good. This latest visit to the doctor wasn't good. In fact, it was terrible. The baby boy in Shelley's womb had an abnormality in his skull. It appeared as though he only had two percent of his brain.
And, despite the terrible news, Shelley and Rob decided what they wanted to do, right then and there.
Devastation
Naturally, this news was devastating for Shelley and Rob. They had so many hopes and dreams for their child. Now, the quality of that child's life would drop dramatically. A bleak picture of the life that child would live was painted by the doctor.
Noah had developed essentially no brain matter at this juncture and he also had spina bifida, a birth defect that occurs when the spine and the spinal cord don't form properly. Seeing upset Shelley and Rob were, the doctor made a radical proposal.
Termination
Abortion is often a drastic option for any mother to be to take. As far as the doctor was concerned, the drastic option was the right one in this case.
He told them that the life expectancy of their boy would likely be short and even if it wasn't, he would require constant care. Was this the kind of life they wanted for their boy and for their other daughters? Shelley and Rob had a decision to make.
Decision Time
Shelley and Rob thought things over. They went home and looked at their girls, not having the heart to tell them the bad news.
They adored their children and hated to ever see them sad. In the adoration, there was an answer. Shelley and Rob had committed to having a new baby.
Determined
If they had been younger, they may have opted for abortion, they said. But they would love this child no matter what. They would keep the baby... although, throughout the pregnancy, Shelly was advised to terminate no less than five times.
Nevertheless, the couple remained steadfast, even when the harsh reality of the situation became painfully clear.
No Going Back
Shelley continued with her pregnancy, trying not to think about whether she had made a mistake. There was no going back now.
The odds were against the baby from its conception. Yet Shelley and Rob held out hope that their boy could make it. And it's a good thing that they did.
Fighting The Odds
On March 6, 2012, Noah came into the world via c-section. Shelley knew what to expect. Doctors had warned the family that their son would be paralyzed from the chest down and could be born with other abnormalities.
Despite her fears, Shelley couldn't wait to meet her son for the first time. There were 12 doctors in the operating theatre, but as he came into the world, they were given a sign.
A Little Fighter
Noah let out a big, healthy scream the moment he was born, letting his parents know that he had arrived.
To give him a fighting chance, a doctor placed a shunt in Noah's skull to drain the excess fluid and relieve the pressure on his brain tissue. His parents could only wait and see how he developed.
Early Days
Shelley and Rob had no expectations for Noah in the early days of his life. They were simply happy that their boy was healthy and happy.
What's more, Noah was able to breathe, eat, and drink because of his brain stem. He was paralyzed from the waist down but this never seemed to affect his mood. He was a happy little boy. It made Shelley and Rob wonder how Noah could be thriving with so little of his brain.
Leaps And Bounds
Noah was developing at a rate that could hardly be explained. Before his birth, doctors warned that he would have severe special needs.
Yet he was coming on three-years-old and didn't seem to be behind most kids his age. He was aware of everything going on around him, appeared emotionally intelligent, and he was even starting to talk. Another trip to the doctor's office was required.
A Second Look
With Noah collecting milestones like leaves from a tree, his parents wanted to know how his brain looked. A second scan had to be taken.
The nurse came back from the other room with the scans and looked visibly shocked. 'You're not going to believe this,' she said.
Nothing Like It
The doctor took the scan from the nurse and put on his glasses. Fixing them at the top of his nose, he examined the scan. 'She's right,' he said. 'I can hardly believe this.'
Doctors and nurses are no stranger to bizarre medical phenomonens but they had never seen anything like this. What had they discovered that had caused so much shock?
Medical Miracle
Shelley and Rob couldn't believe what the doctor was telling them. Nobody could have prepared them for the scan that this doctor had.
Noah, the boy who had two percent of his brain at birth, now had over 80 percent of his brain. He had grown his brain back. It was truly a medical miracle. But how?
Inexplicable
It's a very emotive subject. Some people say you can't grow a brain, some say his brain was there, all squashed up, so when he's had his shunt fitted, it's gone back to where it should be, Rob told Good Morning Britain.
But if his brain was so squashed up, he should have been so severely mentally disabled. So how had Noah's brain grown?
How It Happened
Dr. Gregory Scott, a neuroscience researcher at Imperial College London, believed that the shunt had made space for the brain to grow.
Yet this was only a theory. Scott couldn't prove it and thus it shows how little we truly know about one of our most vital organs; the organ that keeps everything ticking - the brain.
Center Of Control
The brain controls thought, memory, emotion, motor skills, breathing, touch, vision, hunger, temperature and every single process that regulates our body.
But the 'how' behind the miracle of Noah’s brain wasn't too important to Shelley and Rob. They were simply delighted by what was. And they knew the next steps to take.
Beyond Belief
“To hear his brain’s almost back to normal is beyond belief,” Shelly Wall said.
“Rob and I broke down when we heard the news. It was like a dream. I’ve never known anything like it. Even the consultants were in tears. Every time we see the doctors, they just shake their heads. They’re just amazed at what he can do,” she continued.
Brain Training
Noah's parents and older sister Steph, 23, work hard to always be around him. They continually keep his brain stimulated, to aid its growth - his family call this ""brain-training.""
Brain training is also known as cognitive training and is used to maintain and improve cognitive abilities by performing regular activities.
Extraordinary Progress
By the time Noah was four years old, he was able to go to school, could count to 10, read, and talk. He can even use a pen.
He has overcome several challenges already that no one thought he would even be capable of. And little Noah wants to become a firefighter when he grows up.
Blindsided
Shelly told the Chronicle Live in 2017: ""Noah's doing amazingly well—he can write, he knows how to spell his name, he can hold a conversation.""
Noah was quickly proving his doctors and other medical professionals wrong. Nobody could have predicted what would happen next.
Developments
He has been chatting so much more and pronouncing his words,’ Shelly explains in the show. He has started writing, he can follow my finger and write his name.
His concentration was just unbelievable with the pen, I didn’t know that this day would ever come. You can see the excitement, and he knows that he had done something amazing… he amazes us every day.
A Celebrity
Mr. and Mrs. Wall have dedicated their time to his brain development and have taken him to Australia to a radical brain training center. Noah now wants to learn to walk and wants to continue learning how to surf and even start skiing.
Noah's story received a lot of media attention. His story was uplifting and made people hopeful.
Destination Australia
Noah continues to undergo 'neurophysics' treatment, a combination of physiotherapy and cognitive exercises that include horse riding, surfing, and even skydiving. They even had a belief that Noah would still be able to walk in the future.
For the whole family, things appeared to be looking up.
Bright Future
Mr. Wall explained that the experts don’t usually give the therapy to kids because of the cognitive side of things but they were lucky enough to be able to persuade them to see and assess Noah and prepare them for when he’s old enough to have that cognitive treatment.
All in all, the little boy's future looks bright and his story teaches us an important lesson.
Raising Awareness
Writing on the Hugs for Noah website, Shelly said she hopes Noah's case will raise awareness about the importance of taking folic acid during pregnancy. This can prevent spine and brain defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women who wish to conceive are advised to consume around 400 mcg of folic acid per day. ""Even though I took it I didn't take it early enough,"" she wrote, ""No one told me just how important folic acid was."" But that's not all...
A Testament To Human Hope
Without getting into a debate about the ethical arguments around abortion, we can say that Noah's story is one of human hope and positivity. His parents were told that looking after Noah would be tough. And while taking care of him isn't easy, there's not a day that goes by without them thanking their lucky stars - their boy was a medical miracle.
Speaking of medical miracles, meet the woman who found out that she was pregnant… at 91 years old. The doctors had never seen anything like it before.
A Happy Couple
For 90-year-old Estela Meléndez and her husband Manuel González, they didn’t need designer clothes or a gigantic mansion to be happy. They were more than content living in their small, but cozy, bungalow in Chile.
The two had been together since they were teens and when they told each other, “I’ll love you forever” they really did mean it. However, their 74-year marriage was about to get torn in two, and their lives were about to change forever.
An Unfortunate Passing
You see in 2015 Manuel, unfortunately, passed away in his sleep aged 91, leaving his wife devastated and heartbroken. A mere one year younger than her late husband, how would Estela cope with everyday chores now her husband had gone?
She struggled massively, even cooking for one felt like she was competing in a marathon. Estela thought things couldn’t get any worse, but so she was so wrong.
What Was She Going To Do Now?
After spending pretty much her entire life stood by her soulmate's side, for Estela when Manuel passed, it was like her heart had been ripped from her chest.
She tried her best to stay positive and calm but there was no denying it was hard. She often thought back to the time they spent together and reveled in the bittersweet memories. But there was one regret that Estela had, and she would take to the grave.
Troubled Times
You see, the two didn’t have any children as early on in their relationship, they found out that Estela was unable to conceive and get pregnant.
It was heartbreaking to hear this, especially since the two longed to start a family. But the reason behind Estela not being able to have a baby was a mystery for decades. And when she found out the truth she was left feeling sick to her stomach.
A Failure In Life?
Once Estela was told she couldn’t get pregnant, she spent the whole of her life feeling like she had failed. Estela's sisters and friends all had children, and every time she saw them in their perfect happy family, her heart ached. She should be doing that. She should be raising a child.
However, a few years later, Estela found a tumor in her stomach. It wasn’t dangerous, but it was still another shot to the heart. However, little did she know a tumor would be the least of her worries.
A Year Later
The year following her husband's death, Estela now aged 91, was hit with numerous bills and never-ending medical issues. She started to lose her hearing, and she also developed arthritis.
Not to mention she was gaining weight as if she had been eating 2 slices of cake a night, but she wasn’t. Little did this 91-year-old know, things were about to get even worse.
The Weight Wasn’t Shifting
You see, Estela had been trying to lose weight for a while now. She had tried every diet you could think of; cabbage soup, vegan, Atkins, etc. She knew it was harder at her age, but that didn’t stop her.
However, the weight wasn’t going anywhere. In fact, it seemed like she was putting more weight on! She went to the doctors a mere few miles away, determined to find out the truth. But Estela had no idea what was coming.
At The Doctors
She arrived at the doctors and waited to be called in. Hospital and doctor rooms had been her life for the past 10 years. She was not a stranger to the sterile walls and the gross smell of the doctor's room.
She waited to be called. But for some strange reason, she had a terrible feeling hit her stomach. She knew something was off. And she was so right.
An X-Ray
The doctor wanted to make sure everything was ok so he did an x-ray on Estela. They also wanted to check on the tumor she had in case there was something wrong.
However, the results from the x-ray would turn Estela’s world upside down. Nobody expected this to happen.
His Mouth Dropped
After carefully analyzing the results, the doctor came to the conclusion that Estela had never had a tumor in the first place!
What was a matter with her then? The doctor’s mouth dropped open and his eyes widened every glance he gave the x-ray. What Estela had inside her was something much more alarming than a tumor. The doctor had never seen anything like this before.
Never Saw Anything Like This Before
This had to be a joke right? This couldn’t be true. How could this be possible? Hundreds and hundreds of questions ran through Estela’s mind as the doctor revealed the truth.
She felt sick to her stomach. She just wanted this to be a nightmare, one she would wake up from in a few seconds. But this was her reality. She takes a look at her stomach, and a shiver creeps up her spine.
Pregnant
It turned out this 91-year-old was actually pregnant! Estela was overwhelmed with emotion the moment the doctor told her. How did this happen? What exactly was going on?
The doctor revealed that the baby was actually the remains of a fetus. But Estela was left even more lost for words when doctors informed her how long she had been carrying the baby for.
How Was This Possible?
The doctors further analyzed the fetus, and were able to conclude that Estela had been pregnant with it, for around 60 years!
Estela was heartbroken to hear this news. After all, all her life she had wanted a child of her own, to raise and nurture. However, unbeknownst to her, an unborn child was in fact inside her for more than half a century! But the doctors had a lot more to say.
The Truth
Doctors informed Estela that her condition, called lithopedion, only affects a small percentage of women worldwide.
Doctors call the fetuses lithopedions or stone babies and are the result of a fetus that starts to develop outside a pregnant woman’s womb. But how would everybody else in Estela’s small-town respond to her strange medical condition?
Talk Of The Town
Everybody was as equally as surprised when they heard about Estela’s condition. Some felt uncomfortable, others comforted Estela in her time of need.
However, it would turn out there would be an even bigger surprise right around the corner – one that would come from her long-departed husband.
Going Viral
Estela’s mind spun as the world reacted to her condition. First it was social media, then the news outlets. From the The Washington Post to BBC, everyone wanted to talk with her. But that wasn’t the worst part.Some people – from journalists to the general public actually came to see her in person … without asking first.
Some were understanding when she politely told them she didn’t want to talk about it anymore. Others became prickly and offended that they had “wasted all their money” to come and see her. They just didn’t understand what they were really doing to her.
Too Painful
Each visit was like reopening an already fresh wound.
Her heart was filled with so much longing that she found herself rummaging around in the attic where she had stored her late husband’s belongings. Some of them she hadn’t even opened since the day he passed – which would turn out to hold an enormous revelation.
Down Memory Lane
Estela pulled items one by one, trying to ignore the aching in her joints and focusing on the memories that came with them.
One was a seashell her husband had picked up from the beach and strung into a necklace. Afterwards, they had watched one of the most beautiful sunsets she had ever seen in her life. But next, was an odd stack of papers.
Forgotten Papers
The pile was a mishmash of old receipts, documents, and some holiday cards. So much had been swept into boxes without looking.
But as she rifled through the musty smelling papers, an envelope caught her eye. It had her name on it … and it was her husband’s handwriting.
Expressions Of Love
This wasn’t any letter she could remember, but it started out the same … “To the love of my life.”
Each letter curled into words, and each word made her heart swell.
They were words of adoration and promises of forever. It must have been during a time he was away, and they were missing each other desperately. But it was near the end that punched her in the chest.
The Words She Needed
It was like fate was reaching out to her directly.
“I know it’s been hard. I know how much you want kids. But even if we don’t have them, please remember it doesn’t make you any less of a person. I see how you are with the people around you … and it’s beautiful. You’re filled with so much life and love for them. I had you. And that’s enough for me.”
From The Grave
Estela grabbed her frantically beating heart and sobbed.
Even in the afterlife, he was taking care of her. Their love was truly eternal. After the so-called pregnancy, she had felt like a failure all over again, but this letter suddenly wiped that all away. She was sure of one thing.
Spreading Her Light
She had already made it through so many years and there was no knowing how many more were ahead of her.
Whatever her final days would be, she would use them to keep spreading that light and love her husband adored so much.