Astonishing Brit baby born with NO SKIN makes it home after six-month survival fight

Kaiden Jake Shattock arrived prematurely at 30 weeks with an undiagnosed condition which meant he was missing the top layer of his skin.

He was immediately whisked away from parents Jessica Kibbler and Jake Shattock, both 20. When they eventually got to see him nine hours later they said little Kaiden looked “like a piece of uncooked meat”.

The 2lb 7oz baby was so delicate he could not be held for 10 days – and even then they could only cradle him while he was lying on a mattress.

Doctors twice warned his mum and dad he “probably wouldn’t survive”. But, six months on, Kaiden is living at home.

Jessica, of Leamington Spa, Warks, said: “When the nurses took us into the room to introduce us to Kaiden for the first time he was red raw, like a piece of uncooked meat.

“There we were, two 19-year-old new parents with no experience of raising children, and our first was born very weak and very ill.

“Everyone was silent, and everyone was distressed and upset.

“Jake and I cried, but even the nurses left the room and cried their eyes out because they didn’t know what to say to us, and didn’t know how else to help him.”

Revealing more about Kaiden’s desperate situation, Jessica added: “We’d never seen such a small baby before and he was covered in bandages.

“No baby had ever been on so much medication. The staff did everything they could to reduce the pain. The only skin he had on his body was on his face – that was just 2%.”

Jessica had a kidney complication called hydronephrosis during her pregnancy.

She also suffered bleeding nearly three months before Kaiden’s due date, before going into early labour at Nottingham City Hospital, on November 24. There had been no clues during Jessica’s pregnancy about Kaiden’s skin condition.

Jessica said: “My first reaction was total shock, to be honest.

“He was this beautiful, tiny thing and Jake and I looked at each other silently, not knowing how we were going to take care of him.

“We couldn’t even lift him properly to begin with, because he was in so much pain and required life support.

“The doctors told us twice that he probably wouldn’t survive, but we decided that we’d do absolutely everything we could to pull him through.”

It took six weeks for Kaiden to grow skin. During that time he could not wear clothes in case they tore his delicate body.

Earlier this month he had his first skin graft, taking skin from his stomach for his right arm. He will need at least four more operations during the next 12 months.

Since birth Kaiden has battled sepsis, necrotising enterocolitis, congential herpes, dermolysis and bronchiolitis. He has been admitted to Warwick Hospital for emergency treatment six times and requires oxygen every time he falls ill.

He has also been diagnosed with a hearing impairment in both ears. But the tiny fighter, now weighing 9lb 7oz, is battling on.

Source: dailystar.co.uk

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