A mum whose son was born ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ʟᴇɢs and with ᴏɴᴇ ᴀʀᴍ with ᴀ ᴡᴇʙʙᴇᴅ ʜᴀɴᴅ says she never considered ᴛᴇʀᴍɪɴᴀᴛɪɴɢ her ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ as she praised her ‘perfect’ little boy. Little Henry Higgs, now 11 months, loves to splash around in the bath and reach out and touch his toys. Mum Rosie Higgs, 29, had been told her ᴜɴʙᴏʀɴ sᴏɴ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀᴍɴɪᴏᴛɪᴄ ʙᴀɴᴅ sʏɴᴅʀᴏᴍᴇ ,a ᴄᴏɴᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ which ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ sᴛᴏᴘ his ʟɪᴍʙs from growing properly, at her routine 20-week sᴄᴀɴ. Given the ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴘʜʏsɪᴄᴀʟ ᴄʜᴀʟʟᴇɴɢᴇs he would face, family and friends questioned whether she should ᴛᴇʀᴍɪɴᴀᴛᴇ the ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ. But mum-of-three Rosie, of Harrow, North Lᴏɴᴅᴏɴ she had ‘ɴᴏ ᴅᴏᴜʙᴛ’ she was going to ᴋᴇᴇᴘ her baby boy.
She said :” People ᴡᴀʀɴᴇᴅhe ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ a ᴛʀɪᴄᴋʏ ʟɪFᴇ full of ʟɪᴍɪᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴs but I didn’t listen. I was so ᴡᴏʀʀɪᴇᴅ and ᴜᴘsᴇᴛ. Even though Henry ᴅᴏᴇsɴ’ᴛ have all his ʟɪᴍʙs, I’m determined he will have a fantastic and full life ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ʟɪᴍɪᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴs. Peter and I decided Henry deserved a chance. Peter was so sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛɪᴠᴇ and we made every decision together. We knew we would never ᴛᴇʀᴍɪɴᴀᴛᴇ the ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ. Working with sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ɴᴇᴇᴅs ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ every day, I knew Henry would be ᴏᴋ. It was sᴄᴀʀʏ at times being ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ. I had sᴄᴀɴs every four weeks – they kept a close eye.” To make matters ᴡᴏʀsᴇ, ᴅᴜᴇ to the ᴘᴀɴᴅᴇᴍɪᴄ, Rosie’s sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛɪᴠᴇ mum, Paula, 55, could ɴᴏᴛ be at the birth at Nᴏʀᴛʜᴡɪᴄᴋ Pᴀʀᴋ Hᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ, Hᴀʀʀᴏᴡ.
Rosie added: “ɴᴏᴛ being able to have my mum with me at the birth was ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙʀᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ, especially as I knew Henry wasʜɪɢʜ ʀɪsᴋ. Luckily the ᴍɪᴅᴡɪᴠᴇs were ᴀʙsᴏʟᴜᴛᴇʟʏ ɪɴᴄʀᴇᴅɪʙʟᴇ. I was so sᴛʀᴇssᴇᴅ throughout myᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ and when Henry was born theᴍɪᴅᴡɪᴠᴇs asked if I wanted to see him straight away because I was ɴᴇʀᴠᴏᴜs. Sᴄᴀɴs can only tell you so much. It was such ᴀ ʙᴜɪʟᴅ ᴜᴘ and a ᴡᴏʀʀʏ when he first came out I didn’t know what to ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛ.” Henry was born on May 13 at Nᴏʀᴛʜᴡɪᴄᴋ Pᴀʀᴋ Hᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ, Hᴀʀʀᴏᴡ, Lᴏɴᴅᴏɴ, weighing a healthy 8lb 2oz. Theᴍɪᴅᴡɪᴠᴇs toᴏᴋ Henry to one side and dad Peter, 39, an Eᴍɪʀᴀᴛᴇs Fᴀᴄɪʟɪᴛɪᴇs and sᴇᴀᴛɪɴɢ sᴜᴘᴇʀᴠɪsᴏʀ, went over to see him first.
Rosie said :” I fell in love with him from the moment Peter brought him to me. Now, He’s can pick things up ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ any problems. He’s progressing really well and is happy. He’s babbling all the time like he’s talking to you and replying. He wakes me in the morning with his chatter. Henry is happy, he loves sitting up in his highchair, but we have to be ᴄᴀʀᴇFᴜʟ. He’s ɴᴏᴛ able to use a baby walker because it wouldn’t be sᴀFᴇ for him because he doesn’t have his ʙᴏᴛᴛᴏᴍ ʟɪᴍʙs. Henry has also had anᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ at Gʀᴇᴀᴛ Oʀᴍᴏɴᴅ Sᴛʀᴇᴇᴛ Hᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ, Lᴏɴᴅᴏɴ, to sᴇᴘᴀʀᴀᴛᴇ ʜɪs ᴡᴇʙʙᴇᴅ ʜᴀɴᴅ. Thanks to the ᴄʜᴀʀɪᴛʏ I’ve been in contact with loads of parents in similar positions. They’ve been amazing. They’ve really helped me get through it. The house is something that we’re going to have to adapt as he gets ᴏʟᴅᴇʀ because it’s ɴᴏᴛ suitable the way it is at the moment. That is a bit of a ᴡᴏʀʀʏ.”
She added:” But he is such a happy chap and doesn’t let his ᴅɪsᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ʜᴏʟᴅ ʜɪᴍ ʙᴀᴄᴋ in any way. He’s a flirt, he’s got a cheeky smile and he’s always laughing. He loves his big sister. He might ɴᴏᴛ have all of his ᴀʀᴍs and ʟᴇɢs, but he’s absolutely perfect to me.”
