Laurel Phizaclea was born with her internal organs outside her abdominal wall. Doctors initially predicted she would likely not survive, but a miracle happened.

Laurel Phizaclea’s parents (2 years old, living in Cambridge, England) were advised to terminate the pregnancy after a 12-week ultrasound revealed an abdominal hernia. However, Kelly (30 years old) and Sean (34 years old) decided to give their baby a chance, and Laurel was born on June 6, at Addenbrookes Hospital.

Most babies with abdominal hernias undergo procedures to bring the internal organs back inside and close the abdominal wall. However, due to the severity of Laurel’s hernia, with her stomach, liver, and intestines protruding, doctors were unable to do anything until she was 3 years old.

Laurel’s parents had to wrap her abdomen with gauze to protect and support her internal organs, in case more organs came out.

Because skin had formed around the protruding organs, Laurel could eat, drink, and use the toilet like other children. Of course, her parents still had to keep a close eye on her to prevent any unfortunate accidents.

The “ball” in her abdomen didn’t bother the little girl at all; she loved bathing because the bandages were removed and she could caress it.

Previously, during pregnancy, doctors had determined that, in addition to the abdominal hernia, Laurel also had a hole in her heart and congenital scoliosis. Three weeks before birth, the hernia doubled in size, causing doctors to worry that she might not survive after birth.

During the cesarean section on June 6, doctors performed a vertical incision to avoid affecting the baby’s abdominal area. And thankfully, the baby was born healthy, bringing tears to her parents’ eyes.

Laurel was born weighing 3.2 kg and was immediately placed in an incubator before being transferred to the Intensive Care Unit.

Kelly and Sean were able to see their daughter seven hours later. It was a month before they could hold her, and 3.5 months after that, she was discharged home.

After birth, the umbilical cord formed a skin covering all the protruding internal organs, and in most cases, these organs are pushed back into the body by doctors after birth. However, due to the extent of the hernia, doctors said they could not intervene until she was three years old.

Doctors advised Laurel’s parents to watch over her very carefully because they would be unable to help if the internal organs were damaged before she turned three.