Like many proud new parents, a Nebraska couple posted photos of their newborn son on Facebook.
But a comment left on the mother’s Facebook page shocked and saddened them: “What’s wrong with your son’s face?”
Sara Heller and Chris Eidam told WOWT that their son, Brody, was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate. The baby also has a form of chromosome deletion, a rare condition. The cleft lip and palate will require surgical repair, while the chromosome issue will require regular monitoring of his thyroid throughout his life.
Heller responded to the rude comment, which came when her son was about 3 months old, with a link to a medical website that explained cleft palates.
Not long after the Facebook encounter, the new parents were at dinner with friends when the server told the couple that a diner at another table had a gift for them. The server handed them a piece of paper, which turned out to be a check for $1000. The check’s memo line included a message for the parents: “For your beautiful baby.”
The parents are grateful for the stranger's kind and generous act, and told WOWT that the money will go toward Brody's medical fund. Brody had surgery Wednesday, and is doing well, according to Heller.
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