Seeing their child born healthy and whole is the greatest happiness and blessing for parents. However, for Sara Heller, alongside the joy of seeing her son Brody, there were countless worries about his life and the future of her family.

At 24 weeks of pregnancy, Sara and her husband, Chris Eidam, were heartbroken to see abnormalities in their son’s ultrasound images.

Brody had an extremely severe cleft lip and palate. While in other cases it’s just a small gap on the lip, in Brody’s case, the gap extended from the lip all the way to the nostril. Doctors said there were only about 9 cases like Brody’s in the whole world.

“They asked us if we wanted to continue the pregnancy,” Chris shared with Omaha News.

Without a second thought, Sara and Chris decided to keep Brody, even knowing that the road ahead would be very difficult and arduous. Looking at the ultrasound images of their unborn child, Sara and Chris decided to do something completely different; they wanted to change people’s perceptions of children with cleft lip and palate.

“No matter the circumstances, it’s perfectly normal for parents to be proud of their child. We want to put Brody’s picture on Facebook and Instagram. We want to share awareness about cleft lip and palate with everyone.”

The last two to three months of pregnancy are when the fetus gradually develops its facial features. In the US, approximately 2,650 cases of children born with cleft lip and palate are recorded each year. Experts are still working to understand the causes of these defects. However, it is known that genetic factors contribute to about one-fifth of affected children.

“What’s wrong with your baby’s face?”, one comment read.

Sara said she was not only shocked by what people said, but she also hadn’t prepared herself for having to defend Brody from the cruel comments about his unusual appearance.

She shared with Today: “I think I’m going to spread knowledge, not create a confrontation, because that’s what I want Brody to do in the future. I want him to help people understand, to become a defender for younger children, children who don’t yet have their own voices.”

One day, Sara and her friends took Brody out for dinner. While the waiter was bringing the food to Sara’s table, she noticed something like a tissue under the plate. Tears streamed down her face as Sara discovered it was actually a $1,000 check with the message: “For your beautiful child!”

If each person contributes a little kindness, it can make a huge difference, potentially changing someone’s life. Seeing Brody’s bright smile and adorable face, the result of the kindness of strangers and the sacrifices of his parents, surely warms everyone’s hearts during these cold, year-end days.