Miracle baby born without skin defies the odds to survive: Boy who was born 30 weeks premature defied doctors’ predictions and returns home with his parents
- Kaiden Jack Shattock born ten weeks premature at Nottingham City Hospital
- Parents Jessica Kibbler and Jack Shattock say he looked ‘like uncooked meat’
- The tot was born with skin only on his face and could not be held for ten days
A baby born without a top layer of skin is now six months old – despite being born looking ‘like a piece of uncooked meat’.
Jessica Kibbler and Jack Shattock, from Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, were just 19 years old when their baby arrived in excruciating pain.
Kaiden Jake Shattock was born ten weeks premature at Nottingham City Hospital on November 24 weighing 2lb 7oz.
And even nurses had to leave the room to ‘cry their eyes out’ as they processed the mystery ailment that left the tot without skin, Jessica, 20, told the Daily Star.
Jessica Kibbler and Jack Shattock, from Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, were just 19 years old when their baby arrived in excruciating pain
She said: ‘When the nurses took us into the room to introduce us to Kaiden for the first time he was red raw, like a piece of uncooked meat.
‘There we were, two 19-year-old new parents with no experience of raising children, and our first was born very weak and very ill.
‘Jake and I cried, but even the nurses left the room and cried their eyes out because they didn’t know what to say to us, and didn’t know how else to help him.’
Kaiden Jake Shattock was born ten weeks premature at Nottingham City Hospital on November 24 weighing 2lb 7oz
For ten days the new parents were not able to hold their son – and it took six weeks for Kaiden to start growing skin.
Now six months old he is living at home with his parents but a month ago he had to have a skin graft to transfer skin from his stomach to his right arm.
He is expected to need at least four more operations over the next year and has been admitted to Warwick Hospital for emergency treatment six times.
The only skin Kaiden was born with was on his face and since birth he had battled sepsis, necrotising enterocolitis, congential herpes, dermolysis and bronchiolitis.
But despite his condition the tot now weighs 9lb 7oz.
Jessica had a kidney complication called hydronephrosis during her pregnancy. She also suffered bleeding nearly three months before Kaiden’s due date, before going into early labour
Jessica added: ‘He was this beautiful, tiny thing and Jake and I looked at each other silently, not knowing how we were going to take care of him.
‘We couldn’t even lift him properly to begin with, because he was in so much pain and required life support.’
‘The doctors told us twice that he probably wouldn’t survive, but we decided that we’d do absolutely everything we could to pull him through.’
Jessica had a kidney complication called hydronephrosis during her pregnancy. She also suffered bleeding nearly three months before Kaiden’s due date, before going into early labour.
Kaiden’s case is now being investigated by experts abroad.