Mum ignored medical advice to terminate pregnancy and had baby who defied all odds

Nursery assistant Katie White, 24, had a completely normal pregnancy up until she reached 20 weeks. Her baby was then diagnosed with hydrocephalus but she chose not to have an abortion

A mum who ignored medical advice to terminate her pregnancy has given birth to a baby daughter who has defied all odds.

Nursery assistant Katie White, 24, had a completely normal pregnancy up until she reached 20 weeks.

When the woman had an ultrasound scan at Mercy Hospital, St Louis, Missouri, however, a specialist doctor diagnosed her baby with hydrocephalus, defined by the NHS as a build-up of fluid in the brain.

The excess fluid puts pressure on the brain which can cause a wide range of symptoms including headache, being sick, blurred vision and difficulty walking.

Ms White said the doctor tried to get her in contact with family planning to terminate the pregnancy as the specialist feared the little girl would likely never be able to walk, talk or eat.

However, the young mum decided to ignore the doctor's advice and continued her pregnancy.

She said: "I was distraught and bawling my eyes out. They immediately tried to get me in contact with family planning to terminate the pregnancy.

"I needed to go home and think. I couldn’t make such a huge decision off the back of one doctor’s advice and I thank my lucky stars that I did.

"My daughter would not be here today if I had taken that advice."

The woman's aunt then researched other specialists in the area and a new doctor - who has a child with special needs - assured her that everything would be fine.

But when she was 30 weeks pregnant, Ms White was given the same advice to terminate her pregnancy by another hospital which she described as "overwhelming" and "awful".

Despite the advice, she carried on with her pregnancy and little Kensley was born after an emergency C-section on May 23 last year.

The mum was "overjoyed" to see her baby daughter for the first time but described her birth as a "bittersweet" moment as Kensley had to be taken to the children's hospital.

Despite her hydrocephalus, Kensley was doing well and doctors drained the fluid in her brain - but her mum decided not to have a shunt fitted because she wanted to explore other options first.

A shunt is a thin tube that is surgically implanted in the brain and drains away the excess fluid.

After seven days, Kensley was allowed to go home but at just two weeks old she had her first surgery to drain some of the liquid.

Following an MRI, Ms White decided to have a shunt fitted and months later another scan revealed Kensley was healthy and had defied all odds.

The mum said: "She hasn't ever had a seizure, she eats by mouth and can see. She absolutely loves food and eats like a horse."

The girl is now 14 months old and her mum is 12 weeks pregnant with a second baby with her boyfriend Ty, who works as a police officer.

Ms White said: "She is so full of character and is my little angel I wouldn’t change her for the world."

Kensley appears to be a healthy baby and only time will tell if she develops further symptoms linked to her condition.

Many babies born with hydrocephalus (congenital hydrocephalus) have permanent brain damage, explains the NHS.

It can cause long-term complications including learning disabilities, speech or memory problems, vision problems and epilepsy.

Children with hydrocephalus need extra support from their nursery or school to ensure their needs are being met.