Florida Mom Will Give Birth to Son Twice Within 11 Weeks to Save His Life

A Florida mom will give birth to her son twice in a span of 11 weeks to give him a chance to live. Jaiden Ashlea, 23, had a C-section in March, but doctors had to put her son, Levi James, back inside her womb to continue gestating.

If this sounds bizarre, Ashlea and her fiance, Noah Detrick, had some help from a team of specialists to help save their baby's life. This happened after the mother found out during a routine prenatal scan on her 18th week of pregnancy that her son had spina bifida, a congenital condition.

According to the New York Post, the doctors told Ashlea and Detrick that Levi James would be "brain dead" when he is born. The young parents were also advised to terminate the pregnancy, which was not what they wanted.

Jaiden Ashlea Undergoes Open Fetal Surgery

After consulting with two more specialists, Asheal found out that her son's life may still be saved if she underwent a new, cutting-edge surgery while pregnant. The specialist suggested fixing the spine of the baby during his gestation.

The mother agreed and underwent a series of medical tests before her open fetal surgery at the Winnie Palmer Hospital in Orlando. Reports cited that she is only the 31st mom in the U.S. to have such a procedure.

Doctors did a C-section incision on Ashlea to repair the baby's neural-tube defect on his spine. Then they repositioned the baby and placed him back in the womb, where he will continue to gestate until July, the baby's actual due date.

Following the surgery, the mom who will give birth to her son twice posted a TikTok video to share her extraordinary pregnancy journey. Ashlea explained to her more than 15,000 followers that the baby's amniotic was replaced with saline since her water broke during the C-section. She also said she would be closely monitored and on strict bed rest until she gives birth again.

@jaiden.ashlea Fetal surgery was a success, this recovery is something else though #spinabifida #fetalsurgy #openfetalsurgery ♬ original sound - Lisass

Baby Levi James is Improving

As of press time, Ashlea is 27 weeks into her pregnancy. She said that her baby's health appears to be improving as she feels him kicking inside her womb. Doctors confirm more movements from the baby and some signs of malformation reversal. This gives her hope that her son will be able to walk when he's older.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cites that about 1,400 babies a year develop this congenital condition. Spina bifida is often detected after the 18th week, and many babies eventually undergo an operation months after their birth.

According to Daily Mail, the Winnie Palmer Hospital has adopted this new surgical procedure as an alternative for parents if they pass the medical assessments. Open fetal surgery is done between the 19th to the 26th week of the pregnancy.

Dr. Samer Elbabaa, a specialist at the hospital, said that babies with spina bifida who have had the surgery cut their risks in half. However, he also noted that this is not a cure as the baby will still have the congenital defect for as long as they live.