HOUSTON, June 6, 2008
The Girl Who Was "Born" Twice
A Medical Miracle Saves Baby's Life From Life-Threatening Tumor
-
Play CBS Video Video 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.
-
Macie McCartney is a miracle baby - doctors saved her life, and along the way she was born twice. (CBS)
-
Interactive HealthWatch Explore health issues including AIDS, cancer and antibiotics.
-
Video Archive Eye On Health CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook examines various health issues and treatments.
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.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Michelle Obama tells how her role as the First Lady has changed her perspective.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- next
See all 41 CommentsAnd 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!
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.
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."
- 1
- 2
- 3
- next
See all 41 Comments