I was only a few hours old, rushing to a hospital in a different city. I would grow up staring at my backside in the reflection—a reminder of a soul-stirring syndrome.
My mother gave birth to me at around 8 p.m. on January 30, 2009, accompanied by both of my grandmothers and father. At last, with tears in her eyes, my mother finally held her rainbow baby in her arms. Woefully, this bittersweet moment would not last.
The nurses noticed something abnormal after I was born. I had polydactyly, a condition where a baby is born with one or more fingers, resulting in an extra finger connected to the pinky on my left hand. I also had a dimple on the lower half of my back. However, this surprised my family as they had not been told of this. The nurses knew what the dimple could be but not how to treat it.
My parents were told that I would have to go to a different facility to identify the issue and get possible surgery. I was then transported by helicopter to the University of Michigan Hospital, where I was diagnosed with Tethered Spinal Cord Syndrome (TSCS).
A tethered spinal cord occurs when tissue attaches to the spinal cord, limiting movement and causing unusual stretching. If my parents did not act fast, there was the possibility of me becoming crippled. For that reason, I would receive treatment a little after my first birthday.
On June 2, 2010, I was put on anesthesia and underwent surgery. It disconnected the tissue from my spinal cord, allowing it to move freely. Following the surgery, I had a scar three inches in length. This led to bladder and walking issues requiring yearly checkups until I turned 14.
I was most self-conscious in my preteen years. I hated looking in the mirror and seeing the unusual, deformed patch of skin when I wore something cropped or low-rise jeans. I saw how others looked in dresses with the back revealed or two-piece sets, and I wished for nothing more than to have what they had.
I wanted something that others barely gazed, if at all, upon. Despite that, I have improved my self-assurance. Feeling uncomfortable wearing something ‘revealing,’ I remember it is nothing compared to how I once felt.
I embrace and admire this unique mark of mine, a mark I, at one point, never wanted to glimpse again.
While it did not take long for me to regain stability, the bladder issues persisted. I was granted school notes that allowed me to use the bathroom whenever needed. I continue to have these issues, but it is not a problem I am apprehensive about.
TSCS taught me more about confidence and self-love than anything I’ve endured. It took an ample part of me to ‘disregard’ a flaw invariably on my mind.
