Hello!

23 Comments

The mother of a boy who was born with just two per cent of his brain has spoken of how her ‘extraordinary’ son defied the odds.

When Shelly Wall, of Abbeytown in Cumbria, developed a rare condition called hydrocephalus in the womb, she and her husband Rob were told on five different occasions that they could terminate the pregnancy.

When their son Noah finally came into the world in 2012 doctors found he only had two per cent of his brain.

They were desperate to give their boy the chance of a healthy life – but had no idea if he would even survive, shares Daily Mail.

Miraculously he kept on growing, and so did his brain, which by the age of three, scans showed had grown to 80 per cent capacity.

Now at the age of six he has learned to talk and is hoping to be able to walk, surf and ski with the help of a pioneering clinic in Australia.

The family-of-three appeared on Good Morning Britain, where the Walls described their son’s progress as ‘extraordinary’.

Mr Wall said: ‘It’s a very emotive subject. Some people say you can’t grow a brain.

‘Other people say it must have always been there. But if it was and squashed up it would have been so severely damaged he would have been very mentally and physically disabled.’

Mrs Wall described their experience with doctors, saying: ‘Before he was born they gave me the option of a termination five times.

‘We got taken into a room and they drew a circle saying ‘this brain will only be half a brain’.

Mr Wall replied: ‘We were older parents, if younger people were offered that choice they may have felt pressured to go through with it, but we know our own minds and we are positive people.

The couple have been given an assessment a pioneering Australian clinic, where medics combine physiotherapy and cognitive training to ‘train the brain’.

He is confined to a wheelchair but with the help of the clinic hopes to try out some of his favourite sports.

Mr Wall said: ‘Usually they don’t do it for children. But we are incredibly lucky to have got an assessment.

‘The brain’s ability to heal and correct the body’s nervous system is amazing.’

Although Noah faces a lifetime of operations, he and his parents remain determined to fulfill his dreams, and seeing him walk is their ultimate goal.

Share your comments below

We may get commissions for purchases made using links in this post. Learn more.
  • Oh my….what a complete delight.

    Reply

  • What an extraordinary lad! It’s wonderful his parents were so positive, it shows how powerful unconditional love can be.

    Reply

  • Such a positive story, hope he’s able to continue to experience life.

    Reply

  • Thank goodness he is ok, what a great outcome!

    Reply

  • This s a wonderful story, but I suspect a rare one.

    Reply

  • How amazing is this story? Who would have thought a baby born with only two percent of its brain could survive!

    Reply

  • I’m glad he’s making progress – how amazing!

    Reply

  • I’m so glad they didn’t listen to the doctors. He is a truly amazing young man.

    Reply

  • WOW. This is amazing and a miracle. Thank God they went with their gut and continued the pregnancy. And thank God he continues to thrive. A fantastic outcome.

    Reply

  • What an amazing story – do hope he continues to improve and live out some of his lifetime goals. There is so much more that doctors can learn as time passes.

    Reply

  • What a wonderful story …wishing Noah all the very best life and the world can give. :-) XXX

    Reply

  • Amazingly, hope Noah can do all he wants!

    Reply

  • A miracle! What amazing parents to not give up too!

    Reply

  • It is amazing what nature can do! And he hasn’t finished growing yet! Nature may come up with a cure for the remaining issues even if science doesn’t!

    Reply

  • Such an impressive story! I really hope he will be able to walk soon!

    Reply

Post a comment
Add a photo
Your MoM account


Lost your password?

Enter your email and a password below to post your comment and join MoM:

You May Like

Loading…

Looks like this may be blocked by your browser or content filtering.

↥ Back to top

Thanks For Your Star Rating!

Would you like to add a written rating or just a star rating?

Write A Rating Just A Star Rating
Join