Parenting doesn't come with a manual. When a child is born, most moms and dads do their best to ensure their children are given the best care and all the love they have in their hearts. If there is one thing that is certain when it comes to having children, always trust your gut. Even if you feel like you might be overreacting, it is always better to be safe than sorry.
A mom shared a frightening story about her young daughter in the Reddit parenting sub. She posted her story as a cautionary tale to other parents to always speak up.
More from CafeMom: The Pandemic Made Me 'Lose' My Mother's Intuition & I'm Not Sure How To Get It Back
The mom knew something was wrong.
The original poster explained her 13-month-old daughter had been vomiting for three months. She spoke with doctors and specialists, but no one seemed to understand what was happening. When the child was unable to walk, a trip to the emergency room revealed something terrifying.
"Took her to the ER, they did a CT scan and saw a big tumor in her brain and immediately told us and was going to transfer us to a local hospital but ended up transferring us out an hour away because the neurosurgeon was out. They did an MRI and then surgery the next day to drain excess brain fluid causing pressure in her head and took out the tumor," she wrote.
OP is heartbroken.
She explained she's a teacher and can't fathom being around children now after finding out her daughter may never be the same.
"I love my baby and it pains me to see her in pain and to think that she will never be the same baby again but I hate to say that it feels burdensome and not fair," she wrote.
While her child was in surgery, she asked, "Anyone going through this darkness, too?"
More from CafeMom: Parents to 18-Month-Old Conceived via IVF Both Diagnosed With Life-Threatening Illnesses
OP isn't alone.
One parent had a similar story.
"I have been in your shoes," the person wrote. "My daughter had just turned 2 months old. She had a lump on her head since birth that they said was just from the birth. Then she started projectile vomiting and just looked lethargic. A doctor nearly laughed at me and asked what my definition of projectile vomiting was. We ended up taking her to the ER because she started randomly bruising. They did a CT scan and then we were admitted to the oncology ward in the children's hospital. She ended up having a craniectomy and had the lesions removed. The neurosurgeon said he'd never seen a purple skull before."
Another parent told their story: "My [son] was 3 when he had vomiting for 3 months. His pediatrician told us he had a stomach virus for most of that time until I started pushing for further testing. He finally lost all sense of balance and I took him to the childrens ER. He was diagnosed with medulloblastoma group 3. Please feel free to message me. I have been where you are and it's so scary… praying for your sweet baby."
Redditors reminded OP she is human and allowed to have big feelings.
Someone wrote: "Please remember that all feelings are valid. And you are allowed to mourn the life that you thought you would have together."
Another Redditor shared a resource with OP: "I am so sorry you are going through this. The comedian Rob Delaney recently published a book about his experience going through the exact same thing with one of his kids. It's a tough read but also very beautiful and insightful. It's called 'A Heart that Works.'"
A medical professional praised OP for listening to her gut and encouraged her to keep the faith.
"I wish you and your family all the best and hope that someday soon this is just a blip in the beginning of an amazing life for your daughter," the person wrote. "Sending so much love."
These stories are based on posts found on Reddit. Reddit is a user-generated social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where registered members submit content to the site and can up- or down-vote the content. The accuracy and authenticity of each story cannot be confirmed by our staff.
