Having a baby is a joyful event but sometimes, the baby may be experiencing problems that were unexpected. Honestly, we never quite know what to expect until the baby is born, and at that point, it’s just a matter of loving and caring for them.
In Clearwater, Florida, a baby boy named James McCallum was born to Tim and Kaitlyn. They were thrilled when he came into their life, but it wasn’t long before they were calling him their ‘little ninja turtle.’
James has a rare condition and he earned the name because of the way that the skin condition made him look. When James was born, he had something on his back that resembled a turtle shell.
It was a complete surprise that James was dealing with this issue because there wasn’t an indication of any problem while Kaitlyn was pregnant. It didn’t show up on any of the multiple ultrasounds during the pregnancy.
The parents did notice that he had some scabs and lumps on his back after he was born. They kept a close eye on it and it began to spread.
At its worst, about 75% of the baby’s back was covered by this ‘shell’. It was an unusual thing to see, but it also impacted his ability to sleep comfortably. Doctors didn’t know how to diagnose it and the parents were worried.
In order to determine why James had this problem, he was given an MRI scan. They wanted to ensure that the growth was only on the surface and not inside of his body, which could’ve caused problems.
Were happy to say that the condition was only on the skin and it was not an internal problem. By the time James was 2 1/2 months old, he had gone in for surgery to remove the nevus, which is what the growth is called.
The surgery was a success and the parents were happy to know that there were no internal issues. They were still looking for answers and wanted some support, so they found a Facebook group of families that had similar situations with their children.
They opened up to the group and learned that James might experience some issues as a result of the nevus, including discomfort and itchiness as he healed.
The family was also able to find a specialist that was skilled at a treatment known as a tissue expansion. Saline would be injected into James’ back so the skin would stretch and the new skin would eventually replace the affected skin.
This was not easy and James had to have injections every week but soon, he was feeling more comfortable. By the time the summer rolled around, the family is hoping that the shell would be completely gone from his back.
We hope for the best and that the family will be able to get beyond this and have many happy years together.