Being told there’s something different about your baby is every parent’s worst nightmare.

But for Peta Tease, the news only strengthened her love for her unborn child, as she vowed to do everything possible to give him the best life.

Speaking to Kidspot.com.au, the 28-year-old from Sydney, Australia, shared the emotional moment she learned about her son’s conditions and the journey they have faced together.

Tears streamed down my face in the sonographer’s office as I cradled my baby bump.

During a routine 19-week scan, the sonographer discovered that my baby boy had a cleft lip. I couldn’t understand it. A harmony test at 11 weeks had shown no abnormalities, and my first son, Jax, 7, had been born perfectly healthy.

“Will I be able to love this baby as much as I love Jax?” I briefly wondered. But the truth was, I already loved him.

The following evening, my obstetrician called with more difficult news. As well as the cleft lip, my baby also had heart problems. An amniocentesis confirmed the findings: he had two holes in his heart.

The doctor warned me that the journey ahead would be challenging. Before I left, he asked if he could give me a hug because I would need it.

I burst into tears again, but one thing was certain: I would never change my little boy.

As my pregnancy progressed, I found comfort in knowing that survival rates for his congenital heart conditions were encouraging. I promised to love him unconditionally, never imagining how much stronger that love would become.

Oliver was born on May 21, 2018, weighing a healthy 3.2kg (7lbs). He had 15 congenital differences, mainly affecting his face and heart.

His cleft extended across his lip, palate and cheek towards his eye socket, while his left ear was also differently formed.

Looking into his beautiful little face, I knew I would never change him for the world.

When Oliver was 18 days old, we were finally allowed home. Like any proud mum, I wanted to introduce my baby to the world.

Our friends and community surrounded us with love, but some strangers made deeply insensitive comments.

One person remarked: “It’s amazing what plastic surgeons can do these days.” Another asked: “Didn’t you know when you were pregnant?” as though suggesting I should have made a different choice.

But the most upsetting moment came when a six-year-old girl at Jax’s school looked into Oliver’s pram and made unkind comments about his appearance.

I was so shocked that I simply walked away. The thought of my little boy facing similar treatment when he started school broke my heart.

I knew I had to do something.

I shared the experience on the school’s Facebook page, asking parents to show their children Oliver’s picture and explain that although he might look different, he was just like them on the inside.

The response was overwhelming. Many parents said their children thought Oliver was gorgeous and couldn’t understand why anyone would be unkind to him.

As a proud mum, that was exactly what I wanted to hear.

Oliver has given us countless reasons to be proud. He is a happy, resilient little boy who came through open-heart surgery at four-and-a-half months old and started crawling just six weeks later.

He also underwent cleft repair surgery. Although I had always loved his face exactly as it was, seeing his first forever smile just two days after the operation melted my heart.

Now 14 months old, Oliver is thriving. He was walking by his first birthday, loves running everywhere and even says “Mummy”.

His cheeky smile lights up every room.

Although he couldn’t physically latch onto my breast and needed tube feeding, I wanted him to benefit from breast milk, so I decided to express it instead.

Over 14 months, I have expressed more than 600 litres and spent 1,150 hours pumping. I now have enough milk stored to keep Oliver going beyond the age of two.

He will need further surgery in the future, but my biggest concern is the possibility of him facing discrimination when he starts school.

That is why I am sharing our story.

I want Oliver to be treated like any other child, because that is exactly what he is. He just looks different.

Source: thesun.co.uk