I found out about my daughter Victoria’s condition while still pregnant during a routine sonogram at my local hospital. The findings were submitted to a hospital that specializes with the kind of deformities they had found. I got a call from the “other” hospital, explaining that they had found they couldn’t detect her left leg and she had hand malformations……of course, I panicked. I had no idea what was wrong and at that point they hadn’t even explained what it could have been from.
I went to the new hospital shorty after and got a more advanced sonogram for a better look. Seems they had seen very few cases of this sort and with a confirmed amputation of her lower left leg and malformations of her right hand, they jumped to the conclusion it was a result from methamphetamine use. (I have several tattoos, and had facial piercings at the time). I had a social worker assigned to me as soon as she was born.
I gave birth to Victoria in March of 2008, 31 weeks premature due to partial placental abruption. She weighed 3 lbs. 1oz. I was informed she would be in the NICU for some time……I briefly seen her before being whisked away to the NICU. I cried when I seen her, I had this impression that it was somehow my fault, seemed everyone at least made me feel like it was.
She spent 27 days in the NICU, recovering very well with no other conditions other than her physical deformities. I (of course), got cleared of using drugs. They tested her and I. I got the official diagnoses for her as ‘Amniotic Band Syndrome’. I met with a several specialists that were lined up to treat her.
She has had several hand surgeries, some to release the constriction bands, some to separate fussed digits. She has had two bone revisions on her amputated due to bone overgrowth. Otherwise, she is healthy.
She is now 6 years old and has a prosthetic leg and nothing is slowing her down. She has the most bubbly and friendly personality. I have loved her no matter what. 🙂
