The Girl Who Was "Born" Twice
A Medical Miracle Saves Baby's Life From Life-Threatening Tumor
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Miracle Baby Born Twice
Macee McCartney's birth was nothing short of a miracle after doctors performed prenatal surgery to remove a grapefruit-size tumor while she was still inside the womb. Kelly Cobiella reports.
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Macie McCartney is a miracle baby - doctors saved her life, and along the way she was born twice. (CBS)
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That's remarkable, considering there was a time her parents feared she'd never see even one, CBS News correspondent Kelly Cobiella reports.
Four months into Keri McCartney's pregnancy, doctors spotted a tumor growing on the baby's tailbone - a rare and, in Macie's case, fatal condition striking one in 35,000 babies.
"At that point we didn't know - we didn't know what was going to happen," Keri said. "We just felt all alone, who will take us, who will help us through this."
The McCartneys found Texas Children's Fetal Center on the Internet - one of only a handful of hospitals in the world performing prenatal surgery.
The tumor was stealing blood from Macie, weakening her heart. So, at 25 weeks, surgeons cut into Keri's abdomen, pulled out the entire uterus -- and then half of Macie. The tumor was the size of a grapefruit.
"I felt like, 'whoa, this is huge,'" a surgeon said. "I mean, my hands are big and that tumor filled my hand."
Surgeons carefully cut away the non-cancerous tumor, monitoring Macie's heart and pumping saline into the womb where the other half of her body was tucked inside.
"We don't bring the whole baby out of the womb because we don't want the uterus to think the pregnancy is over and the baby's coming out," said Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye of Texas Children's Hospital.
Once free of the tumor, Macee was placed back in the womb, where she recovered and grew for a record 10 more weeks.
Aside from this scar on her backside, Macie is a strong newborn with a healthy future.
"We definitely had hope, but at the same time there's those times things don't go your way and God has other plans," Keri said.
Which is why "Hope" is Macie's middle name - given to her the first time she was born. Now, 14 weeks later, she's finally going home to Laredo Saturday.
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I''m not in med school, and it''s shots like that,
that desensitize people to real life trauma.
Posted by HarryDoghiny at 12:15 AM : Jun 07, 2008
Hey Dirty, because at 25 weeks some states allow you to have an abortion. That''s why. It is a real baby not just some tissue you can toss by the way side.
-Maybe this is the top story because with the war, the oil crisis, and the economic state of the country, some good news would be welcomed.
To those girls that think an abortion is the only alternative - it is not. There are hundreds of couples who would dearly love to help you and provide a good home for the baby. Just give them a chance.
If you have already had a baby and decided you cannot care for him/her, just take the baby to the nearest fire station and leave it with someone. They will make no judgment but will care for the baby until the CPS arrives.
Do what is best for the baby and thus best for yourself and give the baby a chance at life.
rotarooter must never watch tv because this clip was nothing but a miracle when things on the tube is what is stomach turning. stay off the drugs dude
Posted by GrammaWhamma at 04:45 AM : Jun 07, 2008
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Take your self-righteousness and sanctimony somewhere else old woman.
To those girls that think an abortion is the only alternative - it is not. There are hundreds of couples who would dearly love to help you and provide a good home for the baby. Just give them a chance.
If you have already had a baby and decided you cannot care for him/her, just take the baby to the nearest fire station and leave it with someone. They will make no judgment but will care for the baby until the CPS arrives.
Do what is best for the baby and thus best for yourself and give the baby a chance at life.
Posted by ramos937 at 05:33 AM : Jun 07, 2008
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Why don''t you tell them to bring them to your house?
Posted by FloydZeppl at 08:06 AM : Jun 07, 2008
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Why don''t you shut up, you dimwit!!!!
There''s nothing like being a parent to teach you how precious life is.
Posted by GrammaWhamma at 04:45 AM : Jun 07, 2008
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Take your self-righteousness and sanctimony somewhere else old woman.
Posted by FloydZeppl at 07:17 AM : Jun 07, 2008
To kill a baby simply because you don''t want it is murder, pure and simple.
I thought the same thing. The other day, there was a baby with a severe disability that the parents decided to abort, but lived. I think CBS got some flack for that or something because today, the same story, different situation. "Baby pre-disposed to die, lives."
Posted by cog1984
we are all god''s people and he/she brings us all into this world, regardless of whether we are "christian", catholic, jew, muslim, mormon, atheist, etc.
doesn''t matter if the father is a pastor or a convicted felon (like jesus).
doesn''t matter if the family is wonderful or dysfunctional.
god gives no preferential treatment to christians over non-christians. otherwise, we would have to believe that the suffering of innocent children in iraq was willed by god and that ''lil bush is his/her messenger.
hey, maybe that''s why millions of people voted for bush the second time. yes, god loves the ignorant and the wise equally.
And isn''t it odd - that when a woman wants a child - the fetus is not a fetus but is a child!
But if not wanted the child is just a fetus.
I guess that makes them ''feel better'' about killing their child!
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by avigil2
June 9, 2008 2:16 PM PDT
- This "...God has other plans" line is a bunch of C.R.A.P. Thank goodness (or whatever) that this baby was able to survive having been operating on the way she was. It''s not in "God''s plan" to carry new life to full term than have him/her take it away just like that. I find this so iritating.
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