Bailey
16″ x 20″ Watercolor on Paper
Part of the “See What I Can Do!” series of paintings
Four and a Half months into her pregnancy, Bailey’s mom had an ultrasound to see how the developing baby was doing. They got an unexpected phone call from the doctor asking them to come in to the office for a consultation.
Their baby had a rare disorder called Encephalocele. The bones of their baby’s skull did not close completely, leaving a gap in the back of her head. A significant part of her brain was forming in a sack of skin outside of her skull. The doctor recommended that the baby was not viable, and the pregnancy should be terminated. Mom and dad wanted to leave the decision in God’s hands, and chose to continue with the pregnancy through birth with the hopes that Bailey’s case could possibly be one which would have a surgical solution after birth.
Bailey was born on Valentine’s Day, and the love and concern for her from her parents, family, and friends filled the hospital. It was a miracle that she survived birth. And while the miracles would not include anything that any doctor could provide, it was a miracle that Bailey lived for two months, one month in the hospital’s Neo-natal ICU, and a second month to be at home with her parents. She lived to prove that God’s hand was there, guiding her along the way, giving her parents hope for a future where they could be reunited in the heavens with their daughter.
In her short life, Bailey rarely opened her eyes, and movement was rare. Every photo of her from those two months shows her laying down, with a blanket or some sort of head covering to protect the sack on the back of her head. In this painting, the artist has chosen to depict Bailey without her feeding tube, with a head covering, her eyes closed, and a hint of a smile, with her mother and father’s hands touching her with love and thanks for the opportunity they had to take care of her for two months, and a hope to see her again.
Encephalocele
A rare disorder in which the bones of the skull do not close completely. This creates a gap through which cerebral spinal fluid, brain tissue and the meninges (the membrane that covers the brain) can protrude into a sac-like formation. The exact cause of encephalocele is unknown. It a type of neural tube defect, meaning that the neural tube — a narrow channel that should close during early gestation to form the brain and spinal cord — does not close properly. Encephalocele may be treated with surgery to place the protruding part of the brain and the membranes covering it back into the skull and close the opening in the skull. However, neurologic problems caused by the encephalocele will still be present. Long-term treatment depends on the child’s condition and the amount of tissue that has protruded.