A family is thrilled to be celebrating a day they were unsure they’d see: their daughter’s first birthday.
When Harper Foy was born last year in Edmonds, Washington, she was covered in thick, calloused skin. Her skin was so thick that it cut off circulation to her limbs.
Doctors had to rush her to surgery to remove the excess skin.
"It was like a thick skin that built up," mom Angie Foy said, according to ABC News. "It created big thick plaques."
According to The Mirror, her parents had no idea there was a problem while she was still in the womb, so her condition came as a big shock.
Harper was eventually diagnosed with an extremely rare disease called harlequin ichthyosis.
The first few months of Harper’s life were difficult. Her parents, who also have two other children, ages 6 and 17, visited her every day in the hospital. She suffered several life-threatening infections during those months.
“We didn’t even know if she was going to live,” Angie Foy said.
Now, several months later, Harper is thriving. She celebrated her first birthday on Sept. 28. She still has rapidly-growing skin, which means her parents have to take some extra precautions, but they say they’re lucky to have her.
“She’s the light of our lives,” Foy said.
The family started a GoFundMe page to raise money for special equipment to help her cope with her condition. If you would like to donate, click here.
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