A mother’s nine-month pregnancy is filled with joy, anticipation, and a dash of uncertainty. The new parents want their bundle of joy to be healthy. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.Jennie Wilklow of Highland, New York, was overjoyed to finally meet her daughter. She and her husband were overjoyed to be able to wrap their arms around her.
All of the ultrasounds and doctor’s appointments indicated that the baby was healthy, so they were relieved. They never imagined that sweet Anna would be born with a condition that would change their lives forever. At 34 weeks, Jennie delivered Anna via C-section. Doctors told Jennie she was beautiful, and that was all she needed to hear at the time.
Soon after, the proud mother heard her daughter cry, which was just another sign that everything was fine with her little princess.When her husband came to see Jennie, he was strangely silent and appeared worried and perplexed. “My husband’s silence scared me; he just sat in shock as the doctor left, and I prodded for more info,” Jennie told Cafe Mom.
“All he kept saying was, ‘It’s bad.'” What exactly does that mean? I reasoned in my head. He said to me, ‘Jennie, I looked into her eyes, and she has the most Anna was diagnosed with harlequin ichthyosis, a rare disorder characterized by thick diamond-shaped plates separated by deep cracks. “As they frantically attempted to help her, her skin hardened within seconds of birth.” “It hardened and split, causing open wounds all over her body,” Jennie explained to Cafe Mom.
Despite doctors’ doubts, Anna has beaten the odds and is doing well. “She was beauty in its purest form,” her mother remarked. There is no cure, and treatment is time-consuming because it necessitates frequent baths and keeping the skin as moisturized as possible. “I covered her with Vaseline every couple of hours and bathed her for many hours of the day.”
“I had fantasized for years about what my baby would wear, and though it seemed so insignificant, it was what I struggled with the most,” Jennie explained.Jennie posts photos of Anna on her Instagram page harlequindiva in an effort to raise awareness about this condition. She discusses her daily struggles and what it’s like to have a child with harlequin ichthyosis.
“Anna won everyone’s hearts because she is the epitome of perfection.” Working every day is easy when I’m doing it for her, and with each new accomplishment, the world rejoices with me,” Jennie told Cafe Mom.
“I now understand that I was given her because of the love I already had in my heart for my daughter,” she continues. Anna was made for me, and I for her, and we will show the world what true beauty is.”Anna is beautiful just the way she is, and she is fortunate to have parents who do everything in their power to ensure that she has a normal life.