Mum Proud Of ‘Little Fɪɢʜᴛᴇʀ’ Who Was Born With Oɴᴇ Aʀᴍ Aɴᴅ Nᴏ Lᴇɢs
A mum whose baby was born with one arm and no legs has shared her pride at her son’s ʀᴇsɪʟɪᴇɴᴄᴇ.
Rosie Higgs, 29, from Harrow, London, had been told her unborn son might have ᴀᴍɴɪᴏᴛɪᴄ ʙᴀɴᴅ sʏɴᴅʀᴏᴍᴇ – ᴀ ᴄᴏɴᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ which could stop his ʟɪᴍʙs Fʀᴏᴍ ɢʀᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴘʀᴏᴘᴇʀʟʏ – ᴀᴛ ʜᴇʀ ʀᴏᴜᴛɪɴᴇ 20-ᴡᴇᴇᴋ sᴄᴀɴ. Henry Higgs, now 11 months, ᴀʀʀɪᴠᴇᴅ ᴠɪᴀ C-sᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡᴇɪɢʜɪɴɢ a healthy 8lb 2oz.
He was born with just one arm with a webbed hand, but he is now hitting all the milestones he should be. Henry is able to ʟɪFᴛ ᴏʙᴊᴇᴄᴛs ᴜᴘ, ʟɪFᴛ ʜɪs ʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴏʟʟ ᴏᴠᴇʀ.
“When I was told my baby would only have ᴏɴᴇ ᴀʀᴍ – ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏ ʟᴇɢs – I ᴡᴀs sᴏ ᴡᴏʀʀɪᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴜᴘsᴇᴛ, his mother, a special-needs school care ᴀssɪsᴛᴀɴᴛ, ʀᴇᴠᴇᴀʟs. Iᴛ ᴡᴀs sᴄᴀʀʏ at times being pregnant.”she said
Not being able to have her mum Paula, 55, and partner Peter, 39, by her side ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ sᴄᴀɴs ᴅᴜᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏʀᴏɴᴀᴠɪʀᴜs ʀᴇsᴛʀɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴs made the pregnancy even trickier.
“I had sᴄᴀɴs every four weeks – they kept a close eye because every scan was saying something different, When I was at work it was OK because I didn’t think too much. But when I had to stop work I was really overthinking things. I was worried something might go wrong. But he is such a happy chap and doesn’t let his ᴅɪsᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ʜᴏʟᴅ ʜɪᴍ ʙᴀᴄᴋ in any way.He might not have all of his arms and legs, but he’s absolutely perfect to me.”Higgs explains
Henry was born on 13 May at Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, London.
“Not being able to have my mum with me at the birth was ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙʀᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ, ᴇsᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴀs I ᴋɴᴇᴡ Hᴇɴʀʏ ᴡᴀs ʜɪɢʜ-ʀɪsᴋ, Luckily the midwives were absolutely incredible. I was so sᴛʀᴇssᴇᴅ throughout my pregnancy and when Henry was born the midwives asked if I wanted to see him straight away because I was nervous. Sᴄᴀɴs can only tell you so much. It was such a build-up and a worry when he first came out I didn’t know what to expect.”Higgs continues
Higgs says straight after Henry’s birth the midwives took him to one side and his dad went over to see him first. Having picked Henry up, Peter Higgs brought him over and gently placed him in her arms.
“As he passed me my little boy I fell in love,” she says.
After Henry returned home to meet the rest of his family – sister Alice, 13, and brother, Michael, seven – the elder siblings embraced his differences, Higgs says.
“When Henry’s brother first saw him he said ‘eugh’ – but that wasn’t because of his limbs – it was because of his umbilical cord, They both love him and accept him for who he is.”she says
Grandmother Paula also loves spending time with her grandson and makes him clothes to accommodate his limbs.
“Clothing is very difficult, you have to roll everything up or it ʟᴏᴏᴋs ʀɪᴅɪᴄᴜʟᴏᴜs, Mum likes to ᴄʀᴏᴄʜᴇᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴋɴɪᴛ, sᴏ sʜᴇ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ʜɪᴍ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴏᴜᴛFɪᴛs. Sʜᴇ ᴀʙsᴏʟᴜᴛᴇʟʏ ᴀᴅᴏʀᴇs him. Everyone just accepts him for who he is.” Higgs says
Now 11 months, Henry is hitting all his developmental milestones, and his family are thrilled.
“He’s able to pick things up without any problems which is really surprising, He’s progressing really well.” Higgs says
An ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀᴛ Gʀᴇᴀᴛ Oʀᴍᴏɴᴅ Street Hospital to separate his webbed hand has also helped with Henry’s development.
“Now he can pick things up and eat himself, It has made such a difference with his mobility. We are also talking with Stanmore Orthopedics about getting Henry orthopedics in the future, which will make a huge difference.”Higgs says
Since Henry’s birth, Higgs has received support from Reach – a charity that helps ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴜᴘᴘᴇʀ ʟɪᴍʙ ᴅɪFFᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇs.
“Thanks to the charity I’ve been in contact with loads of parents in similar positions. They’ve been amazing. They’ve really helped me get through it. I know he will always be a little bit different but we take it day by day and I know he’ll be able to cope with any future challenges,” she adds.
But as her son is progressing so well, Higgs says his future is looking bright.
