Baby Ja’bari Gray, the third child of Marvin and Priscilla Gray of Texas, was born without skin. What should have been a joyful occasion at his birth was met with shocking silence by the doctors and nurses in the delivery room. Priscilla had no idea of what was happening until after they brought her into another room and explained the situation: Her baby was born with no skin on his body except on his head and legs. Furthermore, his eyes were fused shut and his throat and chin were fused to his chest.
What Marvin and Priscilla were expecting to be a normal childbirth has turned into an inexplicable struggle. Doctors could not say how this happened—and worse, they were not sure how to help little Ja’bari. Even though specialists at Texas Children’s Hospital were consulted, the cause of the condition could still not be determined.
Ja’bari is now several months old, weighs eight pounds, and is stable. Genetic tests have revealed that he may be suffering from a rare disorder known as Epidermolysis bullosa that causes the skin to blister and become delicate. Results of genetic tests on Priscilla and Marvin are tentative. In the meantime, the parents are unable to hold their baby in their arms or take him home. Priscilla expressed, “I’ve been able to hold him twice, but you have to be dressed in a gown and gloved-up. It’s not skin-to-skin. It’s not the same.”
Because of his condition, Ja’bari must be fed through a tube inserted into his nose. The medical staff must also change his dressings regularly, apply topical ointments, and provide pain medication to keep him comfortable. For now, that is all that can be done as the doctors try to take their time to determine how best to treat Ja’bari. However, while waiting for an answer to what caused this condition, doctors have decided to operate on the baby to separate his chin from his chest.
Though the waiting is agony, Marvin and Priscilla are not willing to give up on their son—but they also have two other young children waiting for them at home. A GoFundMe page set up for the child has raised $40,000. More donations are needed to cover the costs, but prayer for Ja’bari and his family is also much needed. God can certainly give wisdom to the medical professionals involved and enable them to help. Please share this story and get more people praying and giving.
Click here to support them: https://www.gofundme.com/br8pa-medical-and-bills