When Adam was born, nobody ever thought that he could have a normal life, not even the doctors. Adam came into this world with severe physical deformities. He was born with a cleft lip and palate, didn’t have eyelids or a nose, had fused legs and hand abnormalities.
The worse thing that his own mother abandoned him at birth and no one in the family was willing to take him home.
Adam’s parents threatened to take his life if they were forced to return home with him. Just when the doctors were concerned over Adam’s situation, a nurse and her husband paid him a visit, who works in the same hospital. When the couple get to know about Adam’s situation, they came forward to adopt him. And finally little Adam found a safe home and loving parents that he deserved just like any other new-born baby.
Adam’s new parents, Raja Paulraj and Jessica Paulraj were married for just 6 months before they found out about him. The couple knew that he was detected with Bartsocias-Papas and they were told that he wouldn’t live past more than a few weeks. In spite of this, they decided to take him home and make him a part of their family.
With the help of friends, the couple were able to get in touch with specialists at UNC Hospitals. A number of surgeries later, Adam’s eyelids were built, his cleft lip was fixed, he had a palate that helped him to eat, and the lumps in his ears and nose were removed.
But the physical developments weren’t the major change to happen. What began as a painful story of an abandoned new-born turned into a life-altering event for his new parents and two younger brothers.
Fourteen surgeries have come and gone for Adam and almost $300,000 was given on his behalf. Adam soon became an older brother as Elliot and Rohan joined the ranks of their family. Although the battles his body had to fight and 14 surgeries it underwent, his spirit was cheerful and affectionate.
Most babies with Adam’s situation pass away when they are still in the womb or a short while after birth. But maybe it was the fact that he was given a loving family and get to experience a lot of love, laughter, and warmth in his little world that he went on to outlive his condition for a few more years.
His new mother, Jessica said that there have been obstructions but still Adam has amazed them. She said that Adam crawls and bounces across the room when he hears his dad come home. He loves to look at books and examines toys extremely carefully. He has the most gorgeous glasses and looks quite elegant in all the caps that have been given to him over the years.
While he had almost 5 years, Adam’s physical suffering came to an end in 2016. Although he was in the Paulraj family for just a short while but his presence altered their lives forever. It may have been hard for them to say goodbye without having another choice but they made peace through their belief that he joined his maker at a new and pain-free place.
Jessica said that Adam will be missed by so many and the pain of letting him go is tremendous and tough to explain.
