Treated at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, FL.
During their 20-week ultrasound, Akosua and Fernando learned that their baby had spina bifida. Determined to explore all options, they reached out to the Fetal Care Center at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies after learning the hospital offered in-utero surgery for babies with this diagnosis. Within a week, Akosua started an evaluation to see if she and her baby were suitable for in-utero surgery, and thankfully, they were. At 25 weeks into her pregnancy, Akosua underwent surgery to correct the defect in Celeste’s spine. Seven weeks later, Celeste was born, weighing 4 pounds, 10 ounces. After a short stay in the neonatal intensive care unit to ensure her health, she was able to go home. Now, at five years old, Celeste is thriving. She walks on her own and enjoys gymnastics, swimming and playing with her sister. Celeste is smart, playful, determined and kind. Celeste goes to weekly physical therapy, and as she grows, she will continue to receive care at the Spina Bifida Clinic at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.
Donations to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals helped fund the fetal surgery program and the state-of-the-art ultrasound machine used to detect spina bifida in kids like Celeste.