Pregnancy can be an incredibly challenging time for a woman.
On top of coping with all the physical changes of carrying a baby, there’s the constant fear that something might go wrong with the child.
Thankfully, in most cases everything turns out well. Months of anxiety and sleepless nights are instantly replaced by relief the moment you finally hold your healthy newborn.
But Jennie Wilklow never got to feel that wave of relief – quite the opposite.
Her pregnancy was mostly uneventful. She and her husband were happily waiting for their baby, and every checkup brought the same reassuring message: the baby looked perfectly healthy.
That calm began to fade when Jennie suddenly had to undergo an emergency C-section at 34 weeks. The surgery and delivery went smoothly, but it quickly became clear that something was seriously wrong with Jennie’s daughter.
“When they delivered her, I heard her cry and someone said, ‘She’s so beautiful.’ Those are the words every mother longs to hear, so I smiled and finally relaxed,” Jennie recalls.
But only moments later, the atmosphere in the room completely changed.
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The baby’s face started to look different. Nurses and doctors began to quietly panic as they realized something was happening to the little girl.
“They were doing everything they could to help her, but her skin turned rock-hard within seconds. Once it hardened, it started to split, leaving open wounds all over her body. From behind the curtain I could see the panic on their faces, and I kept asking if everything was okay.”
A doctor reassured Jennie that they were managing the situation, and she was given medication that put her to sleep.
When she woke up a few hours later, a doctor came to speak with her. That’s when she learned that her baby girl, Anna, had been born with a rare condition called Harlequin ichthyosis.
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She looked over at her husband and immediately sensed how serious the situation was.
“My husband’s silence terrified me. He was just frozen in shock after the doctor left. He kept repeating, ‘This is bad.’”
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Harlequin ichthyosis is a genetic disorder that causes the skin to grow around 14 times faster than normal. It leads to extreme redness and thickened skin all over the body, affecting the eyes, mouth, nose, and ears.
Babies born with Harlequin ichthyosis often die within the first few days of life.
Those who survive can live a normal life span, but they face a high risk of complications and developmental delays, especially with their motor skills.
“I spent the next two days searching for everything I could about her condition. I realized how difficult her life might be. In that darkest, most confusing, and lonely moment of my life, I let myself think the unthinkable: maybe it would be kinder if she didn’t survive,” Jennie admits.
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But Jennie’s little girl turned out to be a true fighter.
With the support of doctors and their family, Anna survived. Eventually, her parents were able to bring her home, determined to do everything they could to care for her.
Jennie recalls how intense those first days were:
“Every two hours I covered her skin in petroleum jelly and spent hours each day bathing her. For years I had dreamed about the cute outfits my little girl would wear, and even though it might seem like such a small thing, that was what I held on to and fought for the most.”
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Despite all the challenges, Anna completely changed the way her mother saw life:
“I started to realize that if I set limits on what she could do, she would stay limited. So I chose to aim high. My goal became that she would be able to do whatever she wanted—and I set the same goal for myself.”
Since then, Jennie has created an Instagram account to share the ups and downs of life with Anna and to document their journey together.
“I now understand that I was given her because of the love I already had in my heart for my daughter. Anna was meant for me, and I was meant for her—and together, we’ll show the world how beautiful life can be.”
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What do you think about Jennie and Anna’s journey?
To me, their story is a powerful reminder that there’s still space for love, kindness, and acceptance in a world that can often feel very cold. Life doesn’t always turn out the way we pictured it, but when we’re able to accept that everyone is born different and that not everyone looks the same, we’ve already taken a big step forward.
Jennie’s honesty and courage in sharing their story truly means a lot.
If you also believe that Anna is an incredibly brave and beautiful little girl, please consider sharing this story with your friends and family.
