Baby operated on the spine growing up after birth

Georgia Axford, 19, and Tyler Kelly, 21, with baby Piper-Kohl, who underwent spine surgery in her mother's womb.
(SWNS)

A baby who has undergone pioneering surgery at the spine while he is in the womb is born in perfect health.

Georgia Axford, 19, and Tyler Kelly, 21, discovered that their daughter had spina bifida – a gap in her spine – during the 20-week scan.

The disease causes weakness or paralysis of the lower limbs, leaving patients dependent on brackets or crutches, and in severe cases, patients may need a wheelchair.

The doctors told the couple that the only treatment available in the UK was surgery by a doctor who had never performed the operation before. So they paid £ 9,000 (about $ 11,550) to make him suffer in Germany.

Piper-Kohl Kelly was born prematurely at 30 weeks and four days – and now shares an anniversary and a name with Professor Thomas Kohl, the surgeon who led the operation.

The parents for the first time took out a loan to cover the costs and went to Germany for the procedure.
(SWNS)

They will not know for sure if the operation has been a complete success until it starts to work – but until now, doctors can not see any signs of it. ;a problem.

Axford, a proud mother of Yate, in South Gloucestershire, said: "She was covered with electric wires from birth, but it was the best feeling to see her. She was so small."

"You could really see the mark on her spine when she was born," said Axford, "that really makes you think how incredible the procedure was."

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"I love being a mother," she said, "We named Piper after the surgeon, thanking him for everything he did." I would honestly recommend the operation to anyone who would look like to a similar boat, it was a little scary at the time and was a lot of money, but it was well worth it – I am so happy that she is there. "

In a race against the clock, the couple took out a loan and traveled 570 miles in Germany for this complex operation, which must be carried out before 26 weeks.

The operation, which lasted three hours, allowed surgeons to insert a "fetoscope" – a small telescope with a camera, a lamp and two instruments – into a hole practiced in the abdomen of Axford.

Surgeons attached a 3.5 cm collagen patch used to treat burns on Piper's spine while it weighed just 2 pounds and 1 ounce.

Doctors will not know how successful the operation has been until it starts to work, but until now, they are satisfied with the results.
(SWNS)

The patch covers the exposed nerves and will repair the cognitive and lower limb development to prevent the baby's paralysis.

After the successful operation of June 13, the couple returned home where Axford was asked to rest until the scheduled date for his delivery on October 2.

But on the day of their follow-up review, six weeks later, Georgia began its work.

She was transported to Southmead Hospital, Bristol, where doctors administered an emergency caesarean section giving birth to Piper-Kohl, born at 9:31 am on July 28, weighing 3 pounds and 10 ounces.

Born nine weeks before term, she spent the next two months in intensive care before being allowed to return home.

In a winking eye to Kohl, the parents for the first time baptized their daughter by the name of the pioneering doctor.

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Axford, also born early, said, "I woke up around 11pm. and just thought that it was a back pain then returned to bed. But at 12:30, I had strong contractions. Tyler brought me to the hospital and he was great because he stayed very calm.

"It was weird because we had a CT scan that day and it was good in my ribcage," she said. Looking back, she was probably ready to go out. I could not hold it before 5 o'clock. That night the nurses said that I needed to rest a bit. "

"We will not know if the operation has fully worked until it starts to work, but all is well for the moment," Axford said. "In a few months, she will be able to sit on her own so that it can help show if it has worked."

"We were a bit worried when Georgia started the job, but Piper was actually a lot bigger than we expected," Kelly said. "When she was born for the first time, the operation was covered with a small red sore.It was only when we brought her home that we felt like real parents. "

"Before, we had all the nurses around us, so we did not feel alone," he said.

Kelly called Kohl and "incredible dude" and said that they wanted to honor him.

"She was also born on her birthday, so everything is well set up," he said. "We are still in touch with him and we are keeping him up to date on Piper's progress and we would like to take Piper to Germany to meet him."

The couple has set up a fundraising page to help pay off the loan contracted for the op.