As Sharlotte Grote neared her due date, she and husband, Jim Grote, prepared for the worst.
At their 20-week scan, the couple's doctor had diagnosed their unborn child with encephalocele — a rare birth defect that causes a part of a baby's brain to grow outside of their body, out through a hole in the skull. Even if their baby survived birth, she would likely be severely disabled.
Totally devastated by this news, but unable to fathom life without their precious angel, these parents continued on with their pregnancy, praying for the best.
Their little girl, Isabella Grote, was delivered via cesarean section. Just three days later, she underwent a miraculous, life-changing surgery.
Doctors successfully removed the external sac attached to Isabella's skull, and reinserted a small section of her brain back in its rightful place.
Years later, this incredible little fighter celebrates her fourth birthday. She's hit every milestone, and keeps wowing loved ones with her progress each and every day.
Keep reading to learn more about this miracle child's remarkable survival.
[H/T: Daily Mail]
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Before Isabella Grote was even born, she was already up against steep obstacles.
At their 20-week scan, Isabella's parents, Sharlotte and Jim Grote, learned that their unborn child was suffering from encephalocele — a rare birth defect that affects only 1 in every 10,000 fetuses.
Part of Isabella's brain was growing in a sac, outside her skull.
Doctors estimated she had a 25 percent chance of surviving past her first few days of life, and even then, she would likely be severely disabled.
Click to reveal if you would like to see Isabella's initial condition.
The news devastated Sharlotte and Jim. However, these parents did everything in their power to make sure their little girl got her best fighting chance.
Sharlotte told Daily Mail: "Abortion was never an option for us. Even if I could spend just a few minutes with my little girl, I would be happy.
“I called a funeral home to find out our options as we prepared ourselves for the worst.”
A few weeks before her due date, Sharlotte, Jim, and their two other children moved from North Dakota to Minnesota, so they could be close to a specialist.
This particular surgeon specialized in performing the type of operation their daughter would need to undergo to survive.
Isabella was born via C-section, and three days later, went under the knife.
Miraculously, this newborn survived her sac-removal surgery.
Sharlotte told Daily Mail: "Seeing her for the first time I was terrified, all I could see was this sac on the back of her head.
“Doctors told us that there was less brain matter in her sac than originally thought, which was such a relief.
“Luckily the surgery went amazing, there was mostly fluid in the sac and we were informed Isabella had no other obvious abnormalities.
“Doctors were even able to place the small part of her brain back into her skull — we couldn’t believe it.
“Despite not knowing if Isabella would have learning difficulties in the future, we felt so lucky that our little girl was alive.”
Little Isabella spent 13 days following her surgery recovering in the NICU.
Then, her loving family brought her home, anxiously waiting to see if she would suffer the kinds of disabilities doctors had forewarned them about.
As it turned out, Isabella was one incredible little fighter.
Sooner than expected, this little angel began making unbelievable developmental progress.
She's hit every important milestone, and recently celebrated her fourth birthday.
While she has since had two vision-correction surgeries, and experienced a slight speech development delay, this little girl has otherwise led nothing but a happy, healthy life.
As Sharlotte told Daily Mail: "We feel truly blessed to have our beautiful little girl with us today. She has been through more than most people have to go through in a lifetime.
“She is just like any other 4-year-old, she loves playing with her dolls and is so loving and caring.
“She is such a fighter.”
Dealt unbelievable odds, this strong young girl defied every preconceived medical expectation, and continues living on as her family's little miracle.
What do you think of this girl's miraculous recovery? Have you or a loved one ever survived a similar situation? Tell us your story in the comments below.
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