The family of a baby born with a rare but serious condition that caused him to not have skin from the neck down is asking for the public’s help with medical and funeral expenses.
Priscilla Maldonado, 25, of San Antonio, Texas, told KEYE-TV her pregnancy seemed healthy and normal. But when her son, Ja'bari Gray, was born Jan. 1, she quickly realized something was wrong.
"It was just completely silent. You know, you expect people to be happy after you have a baby and I had no idea until they put me in a room and explained what was going on," Maldonado said.
The baby had been born with a rare condition known as aplasia cutis, causing him to have no skin from the neck down. He weighed 3 pounds at birth and requires a breathing machine, Maldonado wrote on a GoFundMe page.
Doctors said Ja’bari is one of only three known aplasia cutis cases in the United States, Maldonado said.
The infant is on life support and is expected to pass away.
"Now it came down to where they just want us to go ahead and disconnect him when we feel comfortable, because he's in too much pain and suffering right now. I just want my baby to be home and be normal and be able to hold your baby," said Maldonado.
Maldonado and the rest of Ja'bari's family have started a GoFundMe fundraiser to raise money for the infant's medical and funeral expenses. It can be found here.
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