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Son Born With Rare Condition Defies Odds
19 Apr
Summary
- Baby Ollyver faced Amniotic Band Syndrome from early pregnancy.
- He was born with a rare scalp wound and underdeveloped eyelids.
- Despite severe challenges, Ollyver is neurologically healthy and developing.

Maddicyn and Daniel Brokenshire of Timaru, New Zealand, faced immense worry during their first pregnancy. Initially, Maddicyn experienced a subchorionic hemorrhage, a condition affecting about one percent of pregnancies. Later, at 20 weeks, doctors diagnosed their son, Ollyver, with Amniotic Band Syndrome (ABS), a rare condition affecting one in 15,000 births.
Doctors discovered the amniotic bands were attached, causing an indentation on Ollyver's nose and a smaller right eye orbit. He was born via C-section at Christchurch Hospital, initially not breathing but thankfully resuscitated. Ollyver was born with a significant open wound on his scalp due to Aplasia Cutis Congenita and underdeveloped eyelids, leaving him blind in his right eye.
At eight months old, Ollyver has undergone multiple surgeries to address the amniotic bands and attempt eyelid reconstruction. While these procedures have faced challenges, his development has been remarkably positive. Neurologically unaffected, Ollyver is meeting all developmental milestones and is described by his mother as a strong and resilient child.