Five-Year-Old Boy With Spina Bifida Learns How To Walk

Blake is a five year old superhero! Check out this unbelievable video of a young boy with spina bifida learning how to take his first steps. He is so proud of himself and his mother is teeming; this video is sure to make you swell up.Show more

Spina Bifida may be understood as a birth defect where the backbone and membranes around the spinal cord do not completely develop closed. In short, this means that the spinal cord does not develop correctly or completely, which causes lifelong effects. Despite the heartbreaking effects Spina Bifida may cause on an individual, up to 90% of individuals living with the birth defect make it to live as adults. As we see in this video, with a little determination and the right support, almost anything is possible.

This video is of only one child and yet it represents millions of babies born in the United States each year who suffer from Spina Bifida. One of the most common ways to detect the condition is the spotting of a birthmark near the spinal cord area or the middle of the back.

Most individuals who have found their bodies overcome by Spina Bifida do have issues walking as we see in this video. In most cases, the use of braces, walkers or crutches may enable the individual to walk. In some remarkable cases, individual may walk uninhibited. It all depends on the severity of the birth defect.

Spina Bifida is a hidden killer as it is not always detectable at first. Living with the condition may cause serious brain damage that is irreversible later in life.

As of today, there is no accurate cure for Spina Bifida, only treatments that help to manage the effects and hope to prevent further complications from arising in the future. The birth defect is manageable and does not have to take negative control of your life. In the case of this video, the young boy with Spina Bifida doesn't seem to even be aware of his inabilities as he is so thrilled to take his first steps. If he gets full support and those around him practice patience, there is no reason why this young boy should not thrive in this life. Physical disabilities can take great control, yet with heightened awareness and information regarding what brought each individual to be in their situation, the empathy required to create a more understanding and compassionate world may arise.

With science moving us further into the future every single day, there remains hope for a cure to be developed for Spina Bifida. In the United Kingston, two babies underwent surgery on their spines while still in their mother’s womb. How extraordinary! The surgery was performed in order to repair the devastating effects of Spina Bifida on the developing babies. The doctors were able to successfully connect the unborn children’s spinal cord and membrane which will inhibit disability as their bodies develop. In the past, Spina Bifida has only been able to be treated after the baby was born. Early repair even before childbirth is changing the future for these individuals born with Spina Bifida.