World’s Smallest Mom?
29 02 2008A north Kentucky mom may have set a world record by giving birth to a baby only 10.5 inches smaller than she is.
Stacy Herald is all of 28.5 inches tall from head to heel. The 33-year-old mother of two was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disorder that makes bones brittle and fragile. She defied the odds and the predictions of doctors who told her she would never carry a pregnancy to term.
"My whole life I've been told that I wasn't able to have children," she says. "[They said] I would not live through the pregnancy, that with the size of my torso, the baby would grow up underneath my lungs and smother out my lungs and my heart and we would both die. And something inside me just didn't believe that.
But Stacy became pregnant and doctors encouraged her to have an abortion. She refused. "And my doctor, I love her to death, she's so sweet, she said, 'Okay', she said, you know, 'We'll do it.' We'll provide the best medical care we provide. You provide the faith and we'll see what happens."
"I had the biggest belly you've ever seen in your life. If I laid down, I looked like a snail. That's how big my belly was. I looked like an Idaho potato with arms and legs. And you couldn't see my feet. You know, my legs are there, you know. But my belly came out so long, that all you could see was a belly with toes," Stacy quips.
Stacy gave birth to Katira, now 16 months old. Katira was born with the same genetic disorder as her mom. Five weeks ago, she delivered her second daughter, Makaia, who does not have the disorder. Makaia is expected to grow to a normal height.
"The only thing that I cannot do for my children is like if they want to get from the swing set to the bed or the bed to the swing. Or like picking them up. Now Makaia, I can, for now. I'm sure she'll be carrying me one day."
Stacy's husband, Wil Herald, who is studying to be a minister, says his wife and kids are a gift from God. "I'm proud to have her as my wife. It's just a blessing that we have two wonderful children. She's a great mom. She's a terrific mom. I mean, I couldn't ask for anyone else to be the mother of my children."
Stacey and Wil are planning to try for a son.
[WKYC.com]
wow that is so amazing!its great that every thing had worked i am happy for them i just feel kinda sad for the one who was born with the disease
HELLO!!!! Where is childrens services in this matter. The woman has a 50-75% chance of having ANOTHER child born with her condition and she obviously doesn’t care. Did anyone think that we are PAYING for all of her kids and her families bills (social security disablitiy!!!) Wake up people and know that having childrens is a privelage NOT a right.
you are wrong about that, it is a right to bear children if God choses to bless you with them no matter what your condition is. get over paying taxes for this family we all pay taxes on things we dont like. so don’t use it as an excuse to judge this family. i know this family personally and they love their children very much. stacy is as normal as anyone else with a handicap. i feel sorry for your children if they ever had been born with a disease you probably would have killed them. stacy chose life for her children and i commend her for it. don’t judge until you walk in someone else’s shoes.
Diana,
Wow this is just messed up in so many ways!!! Diana everyone has the right to there opinion and I think Hillary has a valid point. I can only imagine the life that the first baby will have down the road and the second one will probably have the pleasure of having to care of her whole family. Seems pretty selfish in my eyes and most of the people who I have talked to who have viewed this story. I’m sure Stacy is a nice person, but to call her “normal” is a bit far fetched. She seems to be playing with fire and expecting everyone else to clean up her mess.
Kudos to this mom who dosent let things stop her !!!! I think shes amazing and awsome and her husband is great too !!!! it dosent matter how tall you are or how small you are…. i am blind and if i someone who dosent think us disabled people can have kids or live a normal life on our own is wrong and they have a very disabled way of thinking…..and besides not ALL disabled people collect social security…. life is about risks and dealing with what your given not about judging others …. god makes us all how he wants us and he wanted them to have a baby .Guess what else!!!! they will care and love that baby just like anyone else…and probbably have a wiser smarter child in the long run… one who dosent judge others who are disabled amd not so prefect !!!! just because your small or blind or cant walk or hear or talk dosent mean you cant have emotion and the ability to live… you better count your blessings because you never know what can happen in the blink of an eye … you too could be humbled by this little thing they call LIFE !!!!!! you could be that person in a wheelchair paralized from the neck or waist down because some innocent person on the freeway accidnetly hit you…. you could be blinded in a work accident….you could loose you hearing have a stroke and be unable to do the things you did just 24 hours prior!!!! it could be you or your loved one…. then how will you look at it? if they have a baby will it be selfish? if they have a baby will WE be paying for it ?? put yourself in someone elses shoes for once…..see how things could change if you were disbled….