I went to my 36 week checkup for a quick ultrasound to see my baby's size. It was in that tiny dark room that I heard the words that I will never forget. "There is something wrong with your baby." Ava was born two weeks later and was diagnosed with hydrocephalus. It was found by an MRI at birth that a stroke in utero had caused this. She was shunted at 4 days old by Dr. Steven Glazier of the Medical University of South Carolina and has thankfully been surgery free since.

Because of Ava's hydrocephalus, she has other conditions such as hypertonia, minor milestone delays, and some vision issues including nystagmus, optic nerve hypoplasia and strabismus. But even though she has all of these diagnoses, she can see, she can crawl and appears to be just like any other one year old!

Ava has an older brother, Tyler, who she just adores! She follows him everywhere and tries not to miss a thing. She loves to give kisses, play with mom's Tupperware in the kitchen, and she loves to swing outside. She is an amazing little girl that keeps us on our toes! We are truly blessed with her development and are thankful for her doctors, therapists and family for the love and support.