A presentation shared at the Orlando AIGA Changemakers showcase about Redefining Spina Bifida

4. Our baby would be born with spina bifida.
At 17 weeks pregnant we learned

5. Newly diagnosed parents are often provided
OUTDATED & INACCURATE
RESOURCES

6. is a complex birth defect.
SPINA BIFIDA
● Mobility challenges & potential paralysis
● Hydrocephalus
● Chiari Malformation
● Learning challenges & disabilities
● Bladder & bowel incontinence
● Urinary tract infections
● Some have orthopedic issues to include
clubbed feet
● Some experience epilepsy & seizures
● Some are affected by osteoporosis and
scoliosis
● Obesity
● Diabetes
● Potential Kidney failure
Some of the common issues:

7. We didn’t know if we could care for
a child born with spina bifida.
We were presented with options that no parent should have to face.

8. We chose to give our baby a “chance”.
After 3 weeks of debating our options,

9. Chance spent 18 days in the nicu and endured
4 surgeries before he was 3 weeks old.
We learned spina bifida
came with many uncertainties.

10. By the time Chance was a week old he endured surgery for a shunt.
A shunt keeps our son alive.

11. We learned he was just as perfect as any other baby.
Despite being born with a birth defect,

12. A spina bifida diagnosis
is like winning the lottery,
but the type no one wants to win.

13. By the time he was 8 months old
he had endured 11 surgeries.
Along with spina bifida,
he was born with a resilient spirit.

27. In 2014 I began to connect with other photographers who also had a child with spina bifida.
Together we are Redefining Spina Bifida.

40. After 16 surgeries and countless medical moments,
Chance is redefining spina bifida.