Only 1 in 2000 children have craniosynostosis, according to Cleveland Clinic. And they usually have no recollection of it.
Zeb and Charlotte Misko have a father-daughter bond like none other. And they even have matching surgical scars.
Not long after her birth, one-year-old Charlotte was diagnosed with a rare condition called craniosynostosis.
“The bones in a baby’s skull join together before the baby’s brain is fully formed,” the CDC explains.
“If the condition is not treated, the build-up of pressure in the baby’s skull can lead to problems, such as blindness, seizures, or brain damage.”
"When we got the diagnosis, it definitely hit us pretty hard,” Charlotte’s father, Zeb Misko, said. “It hit me pretty hard also.”
Almost 30 years earlier, Zeb was diagnosed with the same condition. But he says he has no recollection of it.
“So I'm very confident that the only reminder that she's going to have is the scar that is right behind her ear,” he added.
Only 1 in 2000 children have craniosynostosis, according to Cleveland Clinic. And Zeb says his daughter having it wasn’t something they planned on.
“I guess it was just in the back of our heads that, okay, this is a possibility, but didn't give it too much thought for the simple fact that I'm the oldest of six kids and they never had any issues with this,” he noted.
“So I'm not saying that we dismissed it as a potential, but it definitely was not in the forefront of our minds.”
Charlotte’s mom, Bethany, says they will have yearly check-ups with a neurosurgeon to make sure she’s hitting all of her milestones. But for now, the Miskos are enjoying being parents.
“She is just honestly one of the best babies I think we couldn't ever have asked for,” she raves about Charlotte. “She's very laid back unless she's hungry, then she lets you know.”
And although neither Charlotte nor Zeb will remember their brain surgery experience, one day, they’ll be able to show off their matching scars.
