In-womb surgery gives baby a fighting chance

To get you to some local news, it was an unexpected diagnosis for a Nokomis couple. At 20 weeks pregnant, Lauren and Sean Hearn learned their son would be born with spina bifida. And as they began to navigate next steps, they were introduced to a team of surgeons and medical staff at Texas Children's Hospital. And before their son was even born, Lauren and baby Theo underwent a major surgery inside the womb to give him a fighting chance. FOX 13's Kimberly Cuisin has more on Theo's journey and this remarkable procedure. Lauren and Sean Hearn were preparing for their second child, a boy named Theo. But at 20 weeks, a routine ultrasound revealed a rare diagnosis. Being in the medical field, and I used to do neuro ICU, there was a part of me, of course, initially I was shocked. I was devastated. The diagnosis, spina bifida, a condition where the spinal cord fails to form, potentially leading to paralysis and brain swelling. It was a pretty terrifying experience. I think you hear that your 20-week-old son... Has an open lesion in their back and is leaking spinal fluid. Lauren Sarasota obstetrician, Dr. Matsumoto, recommended a trip to Texas Children's Hospital. Within that week, they met surgeons, Dr. Michael Belfort and Dr. William Whitehead, pioneers of a revolutionary in womb surgery. If you operate on a baby before it's born, you can actually prevent some of the damage. None of this is a cure. It's not a cure. You're not gonna reverse whatever damage is there, but you can prevent, you can halve the number of kids that need a shunt, and you can double the number of kids that walk unaided. The five-hour procedure is incredibly delicate. Surgeons make an incision from hip to hip, lift out the uterus, and repair Theo's spine through tiny ports, all while he's still in the womb. She was nervous, but she was excited at the opportunity to do what we could to give our son the best quality of life. It was kind of inspirational, to be honest. Now, nearly two months after birth, Theo is home in Nokomis with big sister Olivia. While it will be time before they learn Theo's impacts, they are seeing positive signs. Truly, until the day I die, I will be grateful to those people, every single one of them, just for being present with us. They're still willing to risk it all to... better the future. You can do this and it's really hard. It's really scary. It will work out better than you could ever imagine. A journey that has left a permanent mark on this family and the medical team who gave Theo a fighting chance. Every time I see a baby that's had a spina bifida repair, who the parents send me a video of that kiddo living a completely normal life, it makes me want to cry. I mean, it is remarkable. Kimberly Quezon, Fox 13 News. Just incredible, isn't it? Modern medicine is a miracle. Lauren emphasizes the importance of going to all of your scheduled appointments and ultrasounds, which is how Theo's condition was caught early. And she's now working to support other moms who are going through the unknowns of spina bifida. And she says she's here to speak to them and help guide them. I am still just in awe of that procedure, taking her uterus out, making whatever repairs they can, and putting it back in to finish her term. To think that little Theo was out in the world before he was out in the world. And from the sounds of the surgeon there, this is something that they do routinely. Amazing. Wow.