{"id":7994,"date":"2025-02-28T10:54:46","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T10:54:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/furrybliss2.com\/?p=7994"},"modified":"2025-02-28T10:54:47","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T10:54:47","slug":"my-ninja-turtle-baby-boy-was-born-with-a-shell-hes-my-superhero-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/furrybliss2.com\/?p=7994","title":{"rendered":"My \u2018Ninja Turtle baby\u2019 boy was born with a shell \u2014 he\u2019s my superhero"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A Clearwater, Florida, infant who was born with a growth on his back was dubbed \u201clittle Ninja Turtle\u201d by his parents, as it resembled a \u201cturtle shell.\u201dJames McCallum, 19 months, was given the nickname due to the rare skin condition \u2014 which puzzled doctors.According to James\u2019 mother Kaitlyn McCallum, 35, ultrasounds did not reveal anything about the baby\u2019s condition before he was born on Aug. 19, 2021.<br>However, the new mom and her husband Tim, 41, became worried when they noticed James\u2019 back was scabbing and developing lumps.\u201cIt looked kind of like a birthmark but scabbed over in parts \u2014 it was a little concerning, as it looked like something was wrong,\u201d Kaitlyn told South West News Service.When the mark grew \u2014 resembling a large mole \u2014 his parents took him for tests, waiting months for results.\u201cThe doctors didn\u2019t really know what it was at that point,\u201d Kaitlyn recalled.\u201cIt covered 75% of his back at the start, and it had started to get fattier and more lumpy,\u201d she continued. \u201cIt seemed like it was growing.\u201d<br>\u201cIt looked kind of like a birthmark but scabbed over in parts \u2014 it was a little concerning, as it looked like something was wrong,\u201d Kaitlyn told South West News Service.When the mark grew \u2014 resembling a large mole \u2014 his parents took him for tests, waiting months for results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe doctors didn\u2019t really know what it was at that point,\u201d Kaitlyn recalled.\u201cIt covered 75% of his back at the start, and it had started to get fattier and more lumpy,\u201d she continued. \u201cIt seemed like it was growing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>James was born with a rare skin condition that left him unable to sleep on his back. Courtesy Kaitlyn McCallum \/ SWNS<br>The baby\u2019s skin condition baffled doctors. Courtesy Kaitlyn McCallum \/ SWNS<br>James\u2019 lump grew rapidly, becoming so cumbersome for the baby that he had to sleep on his side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c[It] had become like a turtle shell on his back,\u201d she explained. \u201cHe couldn\u2019t put his head down flat because it was so bulky.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>James had his first surgery to remove the nevus in February 2022, first having an MRI on his brain and spine to assess whether it was growing internally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/expertswatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/sdadS-235x300.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-20154\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The new parents say James\u2019 quality of life is much better now that the mass has been removed.Courtesy Kaitlyn McCallum \/ SWNS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOne of the sub-conditions is internal growing on the brain or spine,\u201d Kaitlyn explained. \u201cSo, at 2\u00bd months old, he had to go under anesthesia to have it done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, there was no internal growth and his parents started the process to get it removed, with doctors testing the removed skin for diseases after his first surgery and the results coming up negative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Worried the mass could grow back, Tim and Kaitlyn joined a Facebook group to connect with other people living with the condition, which they say has opened their eyes to other symptoms and side effects \u2014 such as itchiness and not producing sweat glands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kaitlyn and Tim said they will take scaring over having to deal with the mass.<br>After connecting with a specialist in Chicago, James\u2019 parents decided to start tissue expansion in September 2022, which involves growing the \u201cgood\u201d skin surgically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou can do the expansion process from home,\u201d Kaitlyn said. \u201cThe expanders are placed under the skin by the doctor and then we injected them with saline once a week and it slowly expands the good skin which replaces the nevus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s so much happier and more comfortable, and we\u2019ll just be happy to get all of it gone by the summer,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Clearwater, Florida, infant who was born with a growth on his back was dubbed \u201clittle Ninja Turtle\u201d by his parents, as it resembled a \u201cturtle shell.\u201dJames McCallum, 19 months, was given the nickname due to the rare skin condition \u2014 which puzzled doctors.According to James\u2019 mother Kaitlyn McCallum, 35, ultrasounds did not reveal anything [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7995,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-international"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - 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