A devoted mother has shared the remarkable journey of her little boy, saying she “wouldn’t change him for the world” despite the extraordinary medical challenges he has faced since birth.

Hannah Sachs, from Cincinnati, Ohio, said her son Liam has shown incredible determination from the very beginning of his life, inspiring everyone around him with his resilience and joyful spirit.

Hannah Sachs’ pregnancy was going perfectly to plan until her 22-week scan flagged an abnormality the tot had a suspected encephalocele, a defect which occurs when part of the brain swell through a gap in the skull. The 32-year-old was terrified she’d lose her child, so remained under close examination for the rest of her pregnancy.

“I was so scared,” she recalled. “I didn’t know what the future would look like, but I knew I already loved him with all my heart.”

For the remainder of her pregnancy, Liam was closely monitored by specialists as his parents prepared for an uncertain road ahead.

Baby Liam arrived two weeks before his due date, and was born with a large sac of fluid resembling a bubble – which the family nicknamed his ‘squishy’ – on his forehead, and was immediately taken to the NICU. His mum, a research coordinator based in Cincinnati, Ohio, was terrified about what the future may hold.

“Seeing him for the first time is a memory I’ll treasure forever,” Hannah said. “He was beautiful. All that mattered to me was that he was here.”

Luckily, little Liam was born with no complications in March. After 13 days in the NICU, he was discharged to go home, but needed to continue using oxygen as his levels would often drop throughout the day. But just two weeks after arriving home, he developed severe hydrocephalus – a build-up of excess cerebrospinal fluid in the brain that can lead to brain damage, or prove fatal. It needed an emergency shunt placed to drain it.

“He was only one month old,” Hannah said. “Watching your tiny baby go through brain surgery is something no parent ever imagines. But even then, he showed us how incredibly strong he was.”

When Liam reached six months old, surgeons performed an 11-hour operation to remove the encephalocele and reconstruct much of his skull.

For days after surgery, his eyes were swollen shut, leaving him unable to see what was happening around him. Hannah and her family stayed by his side, constantly talking to him in hopes that hearing familiar voices would bring him comfort.

“We just kept speaking to him,” she said. “Even if he couldn’t understand every word, we wanted him to know he wasn’t facing any of it alone.”

Months later, doctors diagnosed Liam with cerebral palsy after noticing delays in his movement and coordination. It was another difficult moment for the family, but not one that changed how they viewed their son.

Through occupational therapy, speech therapy, feeding therapy, aquatic therapy and music therapy, Liam continued making progress at his own pace.

Today, he is walking, sometimes even running, chatting with “mama” and “dada,” and exploring the world with endless curiosity.

“There was a time when people weren’t sure if he would ever eat by mouth,” Hannah said. “Now he enjoys all of his meals on his own. He learned to walk later than other children, but he did it. Every milestone is worth celebrating.”

She describes Liam as fearless, adventurous and determined, always eager to explore playgrounds, race outside and discover something new.

“He proves people wrong every single day,” she said. “He doesn’t let his challenges define who he is.”

Looking back, Hannah admits life has been very different from what she once imagined.

There have been countless hospital visits, surgeries and therapy sessions. There have been moments filled with fear, uncertainty and tears.

“I wish he didn’t have to go through so many medical procedures,” she said. “If I could take those hardships away, I would. But I would never change Liam.”

“He is imperfectly perfect. He’s doing everything on his own timeline, in his own way. Watching him grow has taught us more about strength, hope and unconditional love than we ever thought possible.”

For Hannah, there is no doubt about how she sees her little boy.

“He is,” she said with a smile, “our true miracle.”

Source: The Mirror