The room went silent after a mother gave birth. She was scared of what words would shatter the silence.
After 9 months of trying, 36-year-old Eliza Jamkochian Bahneman and her 41-year-old husband Erik were pleased to learn they were having a baby in 2018.
Bahneman excitedly told her friends, sister, and sister-in-law about her pregnancy. They were all pregnant and due soon together. She couldn’t wait for her miraculous baby to arrive.
The newborn girl left the womb a month early. Bella was born in October 2018.
After 12 hours of labor, this 5 1/2-pound baby was born. The joyous moment quickly passed.
Bahneman was disturbed by the dark silence and whispering. She recalled:
“‘Why isn’t anyone congratulating me? Why is my spouse terrified and confused? Why won’t my mom look at me?
After many tests in the NICU, Bella was diagnosed with Treacher Collins, a rare genetic condition. This slows facial bone growth.
Isabella was born deaf and with a narrow airway. Surgery and emergency hospital visits began the bumpy road.
Bella had various therapies. Speech, vocational, and hearing loss music classes were incorporated.
The mother wants to spread Treacher Collins Disease awareness. Bahneman hopes to encourage kindness toward persons with this illness. This is all anyone should do when they meet someone unique and wonderful.