Baby Owen Masterson (Missouri, USA) was born with acalvaria – a rare condition resulting in the fetus being born without the bones of the face and skull. His parents, Tom and Jessica, were informed that their son had little chance of survival. Even before birth, doctors predicted that Owen would likely not survive in the womb or face severe trauma during birth. Together, they suggested that terminating the pregnancy should be considered.

Owen Masterson was born with a skull defect and some facial bone abnormalities.

His condition was detected during an ultrasound at 24 weeks into the pregnancy when doctors were uncertain if his brain was entirely covered by his skull. After consulting with an ultrasound specialist, Tom and Jessica were informed that Owen had “very abnormal brain development,” but the doctor couldn’t specify the baby’s exact condition. At 27 weeks pregnant, they were told Owen had acalvaria, a condition unlikely to result in survival.

Nevertheless, the couple remained steadfast in their decision to keep the baby. Despite the bleak predictions from doctors, the baby boy was born, bringing happiness to the entire family. “I felt that while he was in my mother’s womb, he was safe. I couldn’t do anything when he was born and after that. I thought like that, that my son needed to stay,” Jessica said.

Upon diagnosing the baby as unlikely to survive, doctors suggested that the mother consider terminating the pregnancy, meaning aborting the baby.

A day and a half after his birth, Owen was permitted to go home, astonishing the medical community with his remarkable ability to survive. Despite experiencing an ear infection and a stomach virus, Owen endured in a relatively stable condition during the first year. However, he faces challenges as he cannot crawl or move as easily as other babies and requires mobility aids.

Despite all the grim predictions made by doctors, Owen survived.

However, the boy faces numerous difficulties due to being born without a skull. He has fragile health and cannot move on his own like other children.

Currently, Owen is 4 years old, and his health condition remains relatively good. Despite the challenges posed by a missing skull and various birth defects, the boy manages to navigate each day quite well.

Doctors cannot predict how long Owen will live, but the family maintains an optimistic outlook, believing that there is still hope given Owen’s resilience against adversity for the past 4 years. Tom and Jessica occasionally share pictures of their son on their social networking sites. To them, Owen is a resilient “warrior,” and they will always place their trust in him.

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