Mum shares harrowing story of son’s rare birth defect that forced doctors to remove and break his skull

Story from Jam Press (Broken Skull) Pictured: Brittany with Louie.

A mother has shared the heart-wrenching story of discovering her son’s life-changing birth defect, which required doctors to remove and break his skull into pieces. Louie, now one year old, was diagnosed with craniosynostosis, a condition that occurs when the bones in the skull fuse together too early, when he was just five months old. Louie’s parents, Brittany and Daniel Bevans, were left devastated when they were informed that their child would need to undergo a risky procedure to save his sight. The seven-hour operation, known as a cranial vault reconstruction, was carried out in October 2022.

Brittany, who resides in Melbourne, Australia, said that her mother’s instinct kicked in long before Louie was diagnosed, as she just “knew” something was wrong, but her local GP and paediatrician allegedly dismissed her concerns. The mum took Louie to the Craniofacial team at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, where they discovered the issue with the shape of his head.

Craniosynostosis can lead to brain damage, blindness, and intracranial pressure due to insufficient space in the skull for the brain to develop. Brittany, who is now on a mission to raise more awareness of the condition, wants to help other parents facing similar challenges. Louie has recovered well after the surgery, and his parents are grateful to see him happy and energetic.

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