6. Achondrogenesis
June 2nd, 2017.
It was a gorgeous, hot, sunny summer day when we got the call from our genetic counselor. We were relaxing on the pontoon boat, trying to enjoy an afternoon paddle boarding and pretending that everything was normal when we got the official diagnosis. The results from the genetic testing were back, and it was confirmed that Davin had Achondrogenesis, type II. Achondrogenesis is a rare skeletal dysplasia that occurs in about 1 in 50,000 births, and affects the formation of collagen. Our little Davin was not forming his bones like he was supposed to, which was leading to the improper growth of his lungs. His heart was taking up about 75% of his chest cavity, leaving little to no room for his lungs to develop. Our little baby boy wasn't going to be able to breathe. So as long as he was nestled inside me he was going to be fine, but he would not survive his birth. Even though we knew it was coming, it still felt like another blow. Until you get that official diagnosis your heart irrationally hopes that they were wrong, that he was going to be fine. But he wasn’t. And our world stopped again. The sun kept rising and setting, but for us the world stopped turning one more time.
