The instinct of a mother is often the best indicators when we talk about the health of children. And a new example recently moved Tiktok. Mackenzie Dodd, mom and content designer on Tiktok, today shares this overwhelming story that has transformed her life and her vision of maternity … because of suspicious spots.
When parental intuition takes over
It all starts with a trivial detail. In a video that has become viral, Mackenzie films his newborn and written: “I wonder why she has so many birth spots on her back. ” A banal observation … until “reality strikes it. “As soon as my husband saw these spots, I felt a pinch in the belly”she says today to the media Newsweek. “The nurses, first reassuring, simply evoke pigment spots. However, something did not stick.” The young mother opens, asks questions … and transmits her concern. So when they prepare to leave maternity, a pediatrician decides to pass an ultrasound. Result: an anomaly is detected. In an emergency, the baby is transferred to a larger hospital, where an MRI confirms an unexpected diagnosis.
A rare disorder of the detected column … in time
Just one day, the little girl is thus diagnosed with a spinal cord lesion. More specifically, the baby has attached marrow syndrome and caudal regression syndrome, two rare disorders affecting the development of the spine and the nervous system. An uncertain future then opens in front of this family.
The attached marrow syndrome is characterized by an abnormal fixation of the spinal cord, preventing it from moving freely inside the spine. This constant tension can lead to various problems, including walking disorders, as well as difficulties in controlling the bladder or the intestines.
Caudal regression syndrome is also a column disorder causing malformations of gastrointestinal, genitar, skeletal and nervous systems.
Two disorders that if they are not quickly taken care of can initiate large complications and lifetime disabilities. The management of attached marrow syndrome is essentially surgical. That of caudal regression is based on a multidisciplinary approach by neurosurgeons, orthopedists, urologists, nephrologists, physiotherapists and psychologists.
A upset maternity … and reinvented
Mackenzie, already a mother of two healthy children, then enters a new reality: that of a “doctor mother” she says. She must learn to navigate between exams, specialists, and the daily challenges of a child with specific medical needs.
“I had to abandon the classic vision of parenting to become a fierce defender of my daughter’s health”she explains. Today, the girl is 3 years old. And despite the prudent medical predictions, it is much better than expected. The weeks are always punctuated by several medical meetings. But beyond all that, Mackenzie insists on a fact: her daughter remains a child like the others.
“She discovers the world with her brothers, she laughs, she plays. Their link is of invaluable beauty”, she says with emotion. This fraternal link has become one of the pillars of their family balance.
Testify, raise awareness, inspire
Today, Mackenzie uses his Tiktok platform to share their daily lives, raise awareness of invisible disability, and encourage parents to trust their instincts.
“If I learned one thing, that is to listen to my intuition. Parents know when something is wrong. We must dare to ask questions, insist, and defend our children”she insists.