Doctors told a mom her unborn baby wouldn’t live, then she gave birth to ’a superhero’. The extraordinary baby girl has earned the playful moniker ’baby hulk’ due to an uncommon condition that has led to pronounced enlargement in her chest and arms. Let’s learn more about the magical story of this adorable tot.
Armani’s resemblance to a petite bodybuilder earned her a cute nickname.
Armani, who is now nine months old, presents a rare birth condition, called lymphangioma, which left her looking like a baby bodybuilder. It is characterized by the development of non-cancerous growths within the lymphatic vessels. These are thin, tube-like structures responsible for transporting fluids throughout the body.
As a result of this condition, her upper torso and arms have undergone significant hypertrophy, creating a noticeable disproportion when compared to the rest of her body. Armani’s mother, Chelsey, at 33 years old, affectionately bestowed the nickname ’mini Hulk’ upon her daughter at birth, owing to her striking resemblance to a mini bodybuilder.
Armani’s miraculous C-section arrival
Armani’s condition, which can result from genetic factors or hormone imbalances, was diagnosed during the 17th week of her mother’s pregnancy. At birth, Armani weighed 12 pounds, causing her mother to appear considerably larger during pregnancy, often prompting strangers to inquire if she was expecting triplets.
Despite doctors initially giving Armani a bleak prognosis of a ’zero percent’ chance of survival, she defied the odds by crying shortly after being delivered via C-section at 33 weeks, displaying remarkable resilience. Ms. Milby, who is a mother to two other children, expressed deep emotional turmoil upon receiving the news of her baby’s condition, struggling to comprehend why her child was afflicted with it.
Ms. Milby recounted her initial response to the diagnosis, stating that she had never previously encountered this medical condition. She honestly admitted that she had conducted research on it and wasn’t particularly pleased with the outcomes depicted in some of the images.
“When I found out, to be honest, I was devastated, I was heartbroken. I didn’t understand what happened, what went wrong, because I had two other healthy babies, and I cried every day. Every day, I asked God why,” the mother shared.
The mother is thankful for her baby girl and full of hope to what’s next.
The mother acknowledges that her daughter is fortunate not to have any deformities, unlike some other cases she had witnessed. She expresses admiration for those children who had to face such challenges. She also noted that her daughter is content and rarely cried unless she wants to be held. She explained that they are committed to doing everything they can to provide the best possible life for their baby.
Ms. Melby mentioned that Armani has a lot of extra skin. She believes that it would eventually disappear, and she would have the appearance of a normal baby. She anticipates significant scarring resulting from the surgeries.
She also stated that her daughter has recently achieved the milestone of rolling over, and she is in the early stages of attempting to say “momma.” Ms. Milby believes that Armani is making excellent progress and describes her as a true miracle in their lives, emphasizing the depth of their love for her.
Ms. Milby’s extremely challenging pregnancy and delivery.
The mother described her pregnancy by saying that her body had been indicating the need to bring the baby into the world. She stated that she had been close to reaching a weight of nearly 200 pounds, and her health had been deteriorating at a rapid pace. She mentioned enduring daily suffering, facing difficulties in sleeping, and consistently coping with severe illness.
Ms. Milby clarified that her decision to undergo delivery at 33 weeks was based on her body signaling a shutdown. She further elaborated that as each day passed, life had become progressively more demanding, affecting even basic tasks and her ability to breathe due to extreme discomfort. Additionally, the mother had needed continuous fluid drainage from her stomach.
The loving mom recounted the emotional moment of Armani’s birth, saying, “To everyone’s surprise, she came out crying, and everybody in the room was emotional. No one knew what was going to happen. It’s a very magical story.”
For her father, Blake, who was not allowed in the delivery room, the process was incredibly difficult. He recalled, “I remember sitting outside in the hallway. They took me back there for the delivery, and while they were administering an epidural, I was out there pacing the hall, just praying.”
The birth operation presented a significant challenge for Ms. Milby. Nevertheless, she expressed that it was all worth it when she laid eyes on her baby’s face. She elaborated the experience, recounting that they had administered something to help her calm down because she had experienced a panic attack. She recalled that she had been in a state of distress, screaming and crying, and described herself as being in a chaotic and dreadful condition.
However, she pointed out that her baby had surprised everyone and defied expectations. Upon seeing her for the first time, she admitted to shedding even more tears as she had never encountered anyone with a similar appearance, so she had been genuinely shocked, but at the same time, she felt grateful.
Following her birth, Armani and her family were transferred over 100 miles away to Cincinnati for a three-month stay at a specialized hospital where the baby began her recovery. Ms. Milby also shared the challenges she faced with postpartum depression and her determination to remain strong for Armani and her two other children. She described their journey as a rollercoaster ride, acknowledging the daily struggles.
Armani’s condition has room for improvement thanks to upcoming surgical procedures.
She is currently scheduled for a surgical procedure aimed at removing the surplus lymphatic vessels in order to normalize the size of her arms and chest. In the years to come, she will require subsequent surgery to address any residual excess skin on her body.
During the surgical procedures, doctors will excise the abnormal lymphatic tissue to facilitate improved fluid drainage from her body and prevent fluid accumulation. She may then also undergo a treatment known as Sclerotherapy. This involves the injection of a specialized medication into the body, inducing irritation and scarring in the abnormal lymphatic tissue, causing it to shrink and collapse.
Since a portion of the excess fluid has already been drained from her arms, her mother now playfully refers to her as ’squishy.’ Ms. Milby remarked, “Now she’s squishy; I just call her my little squishy baby. She’s doing very well.” We wish baby Armani a speedy recovery and a happy life with her loving family.
Stories like Armani’s challenge us to embrace the beauty and diversity that exists within the human form, redefining our understanding of what it means to be truly extraordinary. And here’s the story of another little girl, nicknamed “Voldemort,” who possesses a physical feature that sets her apart from any other baby we’ve known.
Preview photo credit chelseymilby / TikTok
