Fatal Birth Defect- A Mom Shares Her Story - MUSC Health

At a routine 20-week ultrasound, Layna Stafford and husband Matt found out there was a potential problem with their baby boy. She was sent to the MUSC Prenatal Wellness Center, where they delivered the devastating news that baby Jaxton had a fatal birth defect and would likely not live long after birth. Through it all, Layna describes the care and support she and her husband received from the team at MUSC. It gave them the courage to try again for another child- this time with a happy ending.

[@elizabethkoobs1060]

Even for that short time...Jaxson knew and felt your love. How immeasurably brave and wonderful that was. He was a beautiful baby. Congrats on your gorgeous little girl!

[@chipdale377]

So sad that you lost your baby boy but what a joyful little girl you have ❣️

[@jenniferphillips4765]

I think that she looks like her brother. I'm so happy for you and your husband. I have been through what you have and it was the hardest time in my life. There is not one day that goes by that I don't think of Dane. This was very hard but time did heal... and I want you to know that your not alone in this pain and loss of your baby. There 👼 angels now.

[@bunzer.of.wunzerton2235]

God bless you.

[@reginaldmickensjr2195]

God her demeanor and strength is amazing....

[@NYCgirl927]

This woman reaction is exactly what all women facing a pregnancy with a bad outcome. I have counseled couples like this for over 40 yrs. No fault, no anger & the ability to process this terribly sad situation. Making videos of newborns with horrific deformities blaming nurses & doctors. Id love to have this woman as a resource in my practice to show others how to have grace when a situation is in Gods hands. Yes we feel what you feel, we actually care & I carry those babies along with my own son who passed shortly after birth. We, being health care professionals, are human.

[@NayNay4life175]

This is one of the birth defects that I would never consider carrying to term. These baby's bones continue to break throughout pregnancy & the birth process is horribly painful for them. After they are born they suffocate because their chests are so small that their lungs never develop. Whatever time they live after birth they're either screaming in pain or pumped so full of morphine that they're completely sedated. There's a video on here titled "Baby James" which shows the reality of carrying these babies to term. It's awful. That baby screamed in pain for hours while his goofball parents smiled & talked about "what a miracle" he was. He finally suffocated poor little thing. Carrying to term is not always the "courageous" thing to do. Parents do that for themselves, not for the baby. Even healthy newborns don't grasp what is going on right after birth...why on Earth do these parents think a brain defective newborn has these adult type of thoughts? It's like they conjure up these fairy tales instead of looking at reality. Preventing a baby from suffering is my idea of selflessness.

[@mariajosedelima6104]

k u

[@mariajosedelima6104]

u

[@carlafa3]

Melissa, thank you for your courage and speaking out. I couldn't agree with you more. I have to wonder whether the couple in the video were told what they were putting their child through before and after birth.

[@crystaledwards9878]

I agree. My life’s biggest regret is that I continued with my pregnancy despite knowing one of my twins would die from his deformity. I was young. And had years of Christian upbringing telling me that abortion was an abomination. But I know now that letting that child spend is entire life in utero with his twin’s legs pummeling his guts (same sac twins, one with no legs and bowels not enclosed) subjected him to pain and agony. It would have been kinder to have a saline injection abortion.

[@vickie30]

Beautifully said..

[@au131951]

I love that you have joy in both your little ones and that you are still holding your son safely in your heart too. I don't think "getting past" their passing on is the answer, but knowing there is a custom made place for them in your hearts forever. They go on with you there. It would be fun to see your children's' newborn photos side by side. They look like twins. That is a very cool bouncer you found. I haven't seen one like that since the 60's and they were so un-bulky and nice to use.

[@louisianna5524]

Oh my love Your so brave telling your story.. I wish it could have been a better outcome for your family an for Baby Jackson.. What a beautiful baby Love an hugs xoxo

[@annhughes1503]

This is heart breaking his mom is so brave telling her story I wish it could have been a better out come for your family and baby Jackson lovely tribute to you beautiful baby so happy you had a beautiful rainbow baby

[@judytramel6263]

Thank you for sharing your story. God bless you and your family. He was beautiful.

[@lindawild6568]

So very sorry for your loss, but God bless you for giving Jackson the best chance to live whatever life he could live!

[@stevesweder6972]

God bless you and yours. Amen to that Amen. Rest in peace little angel. The Sweder Family.

[@janicescott7338]

What a beautiful baby boy. So sorry for your devastating loss.

[@Lisa-xh4hx]

aww what an amazing story. It's beautiful, and heart wrenching all in one. They beautiful babies.

[@MaryMacElveen]

I am so happy that this blessed couple decided to give birth to that special little boy. He deserved whatever time he had to live surrounded with the love of his parents. God bless them and may Jackson Rest in Peace. ❤🙏

[@coreygue2555]

I have the same story ❤️🙏 I delivered my baby girl at msuc July 14,2012.rest in peace baby girl♥️ I remember Ms Sally talking to me as well.i have 4 babies now 2 girls and 2 boys.

[@alisondestefano1907]

I am sorry for your loss. May God bless you and your family with angel wings. Fly high beautiful babies with the angels!

[@alyciamarie4163]

It’s comforting to know others received good care. I vividly remember my dr saying “we will do no life saving procedures when she’s borne” the words are so vivid bc it was so cruel. He was actually upset I was going to continue with the pregnancy.

[@ashleecolgan9559]

Love that you are sharing your story- a lot of people have gone through similar things and not been given a platform to share. And also, baby bouncer should most definitely not be on the table. Even supervised.

[@patriciavoncannon1426]

How dare you make a cold hearted blow of a comment about the bouncy seat!!!! These parents have had their plate overflowed and you pissed on it!!! A pray to God you go through a loss and see if you appreciate stupid ass comments like that!!! Stfu!!!!!

[@aliyamoon80]

What a gorgeous little baby! I'm so sorry.

[@merrywhiterose]

What exactly did the first baby have?

[@niecybaby1960]

A fatal birth defect

[@anneliesedrutsch5095]

Ich kann leider kein Englisch könnte mir jemand sagen was mit dem Kind war

[@kosherburger]

Ich benutze gerade Google Translate, aber im Grunde hatte das Baby eine Skeletterkrankung und das Baby starb am Tag seiner Geburt nach dem Kaiserschnitt, und es war sehr schwer für die Krankenschwestern und die Eltern. Danach bekamen sie ein weiteres Baby und das Baby war sicher und normal. Am Ende spricht sie darüber, wie fürsorglich die Krankenschwestern während der ganzen Sache waren, und das war es im Grunde.

[@ruhroh7857]

Good job. Stated plainly & factually without religious overtones. Thank you.

[@rachealclark3327]

Wait, what?? Would it have been wrong for this woman to have told her story with religous overtones?? Because it is NOONE else's story to tell and noone should tell her how to tell it.

[@jagmil8684]

is there something wrong with the father as it looks like there is ?could the baby have gotten the abnormality from his father? does anyone know ??

[@elliesouza717]

What a completely intrusive and thoughtless thing to ask!!!

[@jagmil8684]

@@elliesouza717 not meant to be.Your a negative person.

[@lollipop7458]

Wow, that’s 1 tremendous review of the care they received👍! And 2 beautiful babies they made.❤️

[@marys3127]

What a sweet little guy.

[@rensimpson4453]

Thank you my baby has just been diagnosed with acrania. This helps me.

[@kristinholsapple2587]

Oh my goodness she looks just like her big brother!!!!!! Happy they got to have a moment with Jaxton that he knew who they were (i believe he knew) and had to say goodbye.. Glad they had people who cared for them for her next pregnancy

[@carriegemin5226]

God Bless you an your Family..

[@loreelee8268]

Our youngest had to have heart surgery T musc.the people there bc were just amazing. Her defect normally would find earlier in life .so when we found it she was five years old and we had a large Amount of people on and out And I finally asked what the heck was going on.they said oh we normally deal with babies.we are not used to having older children So we hope you don'mind I said bof course not.i just wasn't used to seeing more people

[@briannotafan3368]

i had a physical defeat caused by a pediatrician i was mocked through grade school my life was a living hell i started to out grow it after time i got a 250k settlement i could access at 22 years of age i'm normal by the age of 25 i caught up a few times with my tormentors i almost went to jail a few times for beating the living shit out of them but the judges dismissed all because of circumstances & my mom crying for the hell they put me through at 18 in h/s i was good looking my dad advanced me a new car had a good life pretty girl from n/s i married 3 healthy kids a good union job of 25 years retiring in 9 months if a kid reads this don't worry it can only get better if you have a physical handicap

[@vickie30]

Beautiful baby boy..

[@ronijohnson6137]

Beautiful baby!❤❤❤❤

[@gillianbaillie6170]

Beautiful babies!! ♥️♥️

[@cindycarr3460]

Whe ou leave this earth Bab Jackson will be waiting for you ❤️

[@janeschiffler5347]

He was a beautiful boy.

[@NJSMKMMS]

That video was brutal, didn't even say what happened to Jaxton.

[@de3182]

He had brittle bone disorder. There are forms of it that are fatal.

[@Elizabeth-yg2mg]

Darling baby boy!

[@thomasplouffe1363]

why didn't they drain the fluid out of his neck???

[@brendacrick9066]

I would have a apportion 😐

[@elliesouza717]

Totally inappropriate here

[@kellymccallister7373]

BEAUTIFUL BOY 💙💙

[@schatzfarms4471]

Almost always trisomy

[@HeartinaRosebud]

Despite missing your son, you guys are proud of having one rainbow daughter, whom Jaxton never met.

[@williekellerwhitaker1531]

Blessing

[@kaitlynnickey4763]

Sending love ❤️

[@amandaroman3471]

I am not sure how woman get pregnant literally days after the loss of a child. I wouldn’t be able to move let alone try for another. I guess I’m just not strong as some of these ladies. I know that’s kinda a bad thing to say but I don’t mean it to be bad honestly. I just don’t know how they’d continue on strongly. I lost my guinea pig and 3 years later I still bawl when I see pictures of her or think about her when I come home and she’s not on my bed running out chirping from under the covers.:: she was trained and more like a dog than anything. But that’s an animal and I literally was crippled with grief for weeks... I have actual children too ha. Something wrong w me I guess. I’m weak and miserable.

[@kyralawson117]

She got pregnant 8 months after the passing of her son.

[@jessjess103]

Thats happened to me too when my dogs died and almost at the same time i lost my grandpa too.. its so traumatic coz my dogs died bec of fought with each other i saw blood everywere , i struggled to stop it but i failed i screamed for help but no neighbours help me, it was almost 2,5 years a go but til now its still haunted me

[@sharonwallace7267]

@@jessjess103 I m sorry for your loss. How can you really compare this with the loss of an infant? You did not carry those animals in your body, parents expecting a child have hopes and dreams for the future with their child, to watch them grow up, to teach them, to give them love and support the childs needs, to give them advice, to give them opportunities to make decisions about life. You can love and care about animals but they are not going to get an education, get a job, be self sufficient, get married, give you grandchildren, take care of you when you grow old. Please stop comparing animals and children. They are not the same..

[@lindah5011]

Seriously. It's a tribute to their baby. Not a pet. Don't even talk about your stupid gerbil.

[@valbrand3018]

@@lindah5011 😆 sorry, this made me laugh🙈

[@ontoyoualways9183]

Advertising!

[@Resplendant68]

Godspeed.

[@wandaeller5485]

You are so right. I feel like,I'd rather send the "baby",back to God ,instead of bringing a poor pitiful child into a world for however long deformed like that.I don't understand. They don't care for that baby,just themselves.

[@ninny6296]

PRECIOUS PRECIOUS PRECIOUS

[@mckuhn1000]

the noses on mom and dad whew!!

[@marykaybrancheau7759]

00!

[@optigirl366]

It’s up to God

[@ahoraonunca8594]

🙏🌷🙏🌷🙏🌷

[@deeann424]

Poor baby. All he ever knew was pain. Terribly selfish parents. They did this for themselves.

[@elliesouza717]

What kind of evil person says things like this

[@mamamamamamamamaaa]

I’d encourage you to watch videos on what happens during an abortion, should these parents have decided to end the pregnancy. At 20 weeks, that poor baby would have felt the pain of all their limbs being ripped apart piece by piece, all bones being broken and their body vacuumed away. Sorry to those who are compassionately loving this family that my words are so graphic. I feel it’s important to not sugar abortion as an act of mercy when it’s actually butchering a child. This mother did the most compassionate thing humanly possible for her child and she loved him fiercely as he passed into God’s hands. Rest in eternity, Jackson.

[@jenm1638]

Humans so selfish . Haven’t they learned , what a terrible moment for the child ! The selfishness is so strong that they ignore hardships and they do it all over again . Even though there is the possibility of disaster. And then just because they so bad want to pass on their genes , do it all over again . Haven’t you already noticed what you had done? You have brought a child here to die ? It was brought to this world in such a cruel way, just so it can die because of a deformity . Life is not perfect wake up !there are deformities ! Birth is not this beautiful perfect fairytale . Life has negatives as well , wake up

[@elliesouza717]

Only a truly horrible excuse for a person says things like that. No humanity in you at all. I pray you don't have children

[@lisasuzanne8474]

She looks like Mayim Bialik. ☺️

[@cheryljohnson579]

Your eyes so wide distract me