Lacey and Charles Buchanan were thrilled to discover they were pregnant with their first child. But at their 18-week ultrasound, things took a frightening turn for the Tennessee couple.
Doctors discovered the baby, Christian, would be born with a cleft lip and palette, then gave them a list of possible rare conditions.
Lacey had already fallen in love with her unborn baby, despite his potential challenges. Termination was never an option.
As her due date approached, doctors still had no real answers. Then, in February 2011, Christian was born via C-section because it was uncertain that he’d be able to breathe on his own.
Lacey was so ecstatic. Christian let out a cry and was in fact breathing normally. The elated mother asked the medical team what her son looked like, but no one would answer her. The doctors and nurses went completely silent. They asked if she wanted to see him, only to quickly pass him over the curtain. She could barely sneak a look.
When Lacey held Christian for the first time, he was wrapped up and had white gauze covering his eyes. Lacey knew his cleft palette was severe, but he was still perfect to her.
Finally, Lacey saw the truth — that Christian had bits of tissue where his eyes should be. He was born without eyes.
Four days later, Lacey found her husband crying in the hospital room. “Charles said that a doctor had come in and basically said, ‘Your child is blind, and there’s nothing we can do.’ That’s it,” Lacey told USA Today. “They didn’t wait for me. We didn’t ask questions — nothing.”
Despite all the odds stacked against him, Christian is now 5 years old. Wait until you see him in the video below.
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