ThatsLife
  • WIN
  • News
  • Real Life
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Pets
  • Your Stars
  • Puzzles
  • Podcasts
  • Video
ThatsLife
  • WIN
  • News
  • Real Life
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Pets
  • Your Stars
  • Puzzles
  • Podcasts
  • Video
Subscribe
Oak Schuetz, who claims she's dating Sam Burgess, posts strange video
Watch 1:40

Oak Schuetz, who claims she's dating Sam Burgess, posts strange video

{headline}

{headline}

‘My daughter got skin cancer at the age of 12’

‘My daughter got skin cancer at the age of 12’

Mum and teen daughter questioned at airport over different surnames

Mum and teen daughter questioned at airport over different surnames

When this photo was taken, something terrible had happened

When this photo was taken, something terrible had happened

Woman’s warning to expecting mums: how a scan could save your baby

Woman’s warning to expecting mums: how a scan could save your baby

{headline}

{headline}

Mum says she wants her young daughter to have plastic surgery

Mum says she wants her young daughter to have plastic surgery

We‘ll do anything to save our girl

We‘ll do anything to save our girl

Mum finds shock message after young daughter kills herself

Mum finds shock message after young daughter kills herself

{headline}

{headline}

Christmas miracle – my mum came back to life!

Christmas miracle – my mum came back to life!

Ellie the angel – her dad got custody then killed her

Ellie the angel – her dad got custody then killed her

Wife's secret: I fed my husband a cockroach for Christmas lunch

Wife's secret: I fed my husband a cockroach for Christmas lunch

Mum accused of running over barber because she was angry about her son's haircut!

Mum accused of running over barber because she was angry about her son's haircut!

Chilling images released of woman from child sex abuse film

Chilling images released of woman from child sex abuse film

Man tries to yank plane door open MID-FLIGHT

Man tries to yank plane door open MID-FLIGHT

Evil couple who raped a two-year-old have been jailed for life

Evil couple who raped a two-year-old have been jailed for life

  1. Home
  2. Real Life

Mum’s ‘gut instinct’ leads to daughter’s shock diagnosis

Australian mother Julie Akmacic just knew something wasn’t right with her baby girl. - by Katherine Davison
  • 05 Dec 2017
Mum’s ‘gut instinct’ leads to daughter’s shock diagnosis
Supplied

An Australian mother has spoken out about how her ‘gut instinct’ led to her daughter’s diagnosis with a rare condition.

Julie Akmacic’s daughter Lucia – or Lucy as she’s known – was around four weeks old when Julie and her partner discovered no hats would fit their little girl.

‘Around this time, her dad and I noticed that her forehead jutted forward and the rest of her head was quite elongated - a bit like a football,’ Julie tells New Idea.

Julie Akmacic’s daughter Lucy (pictured) was four weeks old when she had a feeling something was wrong

Julie Akmacic’s daughter Lucy (pictured) was four weeks old when she had a feeling something was wrong

‘No hats would fit her and she found it very difficult to lie on her back with her head facing forward.’

In addition to this, Lucy had difficulties latching on to breastfeed so Julie took her little girl to a paediatric osteopath to assist.

‘Once this hurdle was overcome, I then turned my attention to her head and ask the osteo whether I should be worried and they said no,’ Julie says. 

‘They led me to believe that with their help her head would improve over time.’

Weeks and then months went by and despite assurances there was no problem, Julie’s gut instinct was telling her otherwise.

‘Following my gut instinct, I began to research ‘strange head shape in babies’ and came across a condition called Craniosynostosis,’ Julie says.

‘The images which accompanied the definition looked very much like Lucy’s head.’

Armed with this information, Julie asked again whether there might be a problem with Lucy’s skull – and says that again her fears were dismissed.

‘It wasn't until Lucy's six month development check when alarm bells really rang,’ she says.

‘Lucy's development was fine and she was thriving but the maternal and child health nurse strongly recommended that a paediatrician look at her head after she found that Lucy’s skull bone joints were overlapping and she couldn’t find her soft spot.’

Following a specialist appointment, Lucy was immediately booked in for a CT scan.

Julie's gut instinct told her something was wrong and she started researching skull conditions

Julie's gut instinct told her something was wrong and she started researching skull conditions

The adorable little girl was diagnosed with Craniosynotisis when she was nine months old.

The condition means her skull had fused too early – meaning there was no room for her brain to grow.

If left untreated, her brain would come under increasing pressure.

‘At the moment Lucy’s brain has not been affected,’ her mum tells New Idea. 

Now one year old, she is reaching her milestones and is healthy.

‘But Lucy’s brain grows inside a skull that struggles to accommodate it,’ Julie explains.

The mother's instinct led her daughter to be diagnosed with Craniosynotisis

The mother's instinct led her daughter to be diagnosed with Craniosynotisis

Supplied

‘She could become visually impaired, have pressure build up in the brain, have learning difficulties and have developmental delays.

‘She would also look deformed as her head would continue to grow in a bullet shape which then could result in a life of depression and low self esteem and not to mention severe bullying. 

It’s something her proud parents can’t bear to see happen – and so the little girl will undergo major life-changing surgery in March to ease the problem.

‘When Lucy was first diagnosed I was adamant to find the best craniofacial and neurosurgeons who are experienced in treating Craniosynostosis and I discovered the Australian Craniofacial Unit in Adelaide headed by Professor David David,’ Julie explains.

‘Because I know that the best of the best will be operating on Lucy I’m feeling surprisingly calm. She has to have the surgery and knowing that she is in the best of hands brings me a lot of comfort. 

‘I’m sure however, when I see her in her hospital gown I’ll be a blubbering mess – what mother wouldn’t be?’

The surgery – known as a cranial vault remodel – will involve her skull from the forehead back being removed, cut up, reconstructed and repositioned to allow room for her brain to grow.

‘The surgery will allow her to reach normal developmental milestones just like any other healthy child and she will grow to look like everybody else,’ Julie says.

‘Once her hair grows back and the scar is hidden you should never be able to know that Lucy’s skull was reconstructed.

‘The thought of what kind of life Lucy would have without the surgery, especially if she grew up to look different ‘is heartbreaking,’ the mother adds.

‘I would love Lucy to look at herself in the future and say ‘I am beautiful, both inside and out’.’ 

Follow Lucy’s journey on Facebook here

baby daughter

Julie (pictured) says she wants her daughter to grow up feeling beautiful 'inside and out'

Supplied

This article originally appeared on New Idea.

That's Life Mega Monthly! -SAVE UP TO 20%

LESS THAN $4.17 AN ISSUE - TRY IT TODAY!

Subscribe Now
That's Life Mega Monthly!

That's Life Mega Monthly! -SAVE UP TO 20%

LESS THAN $4.17 AN ISSUE - TRY IT TODAY!

Subscribe Now
That's Life Mega Monthly!

Recommended to you

Oak Schuetz, who claims she's dating Sam Burgess, posts strange video
Watch 1:40

Oak Schuetz, who claims she's dating Sam Burgess, posts strange video

{headline}

{headline}

‘My daughter got skin cancer at the age of 12’

‘My daughter got skin cancer at the age of 12’

Mum and teen daughter questioned at airport over different surnames

Mum and teen daughter questioned at airport over different surnames

When this photo was taken, something terrible had happened

When this photo was taken, something terrible had happened

Woman’s warning to expecting mums: how a scan could save your baby

Woman’s warning to expecting mums: how a scan could save your baby

{headline}

{headline}

Mum says she wants her young daughter to have plastic surgery

Mum says she wants her young daughter to have plastic surgery

We‘ll do anything to save our girl

We‘ll do anything to save our girl

Mum finds shock message after young daughter kills herself

Mum finds shock message after young daughter kills herself

{headline}

{headline}

Christmas miracle – my mum came back to life!

Christmas miracle – my mum came back to life!

Ellie the angel – her dad got custody then killed her

Ellie the angel – her dad got custody then killed her

Wife's secret: I fed my husband a cockroach for Christmas lunch

Wife's secret: I fed my husband a cockroach for Christmas lunch

Mum accused of running over barber because she was angry about her son's haircut!

Mum accused of running over barber because she was angry about her son's haircut!

Chilling images released of woman from child sex abuse film

Chilling images released of woman from child sex abuse film

Man tries to yank plane door open MID-FLIGHT

Man tries to yank plane door open MID-FLIGHT

Evil couple who raped a two-year-old have been jailed for life

Evil couple who raped a two-year-old have been jailed for life

ThatsLife
  • Gold Club
  • Online Entry FAQ
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Pacific Magazines
  • Partners
  • 7Plus
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms
ThatsLife Magazine Subscribe
  • Gold Club
  • Online Entry FAQ
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Pacific Magazines
  • Partners
  • 7Plus
  • Privacy Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms

Brands

  • New Idea
  • Who
  • Girlfriend
  • Practical Parenting

Pacific Network

  • Better Homes and Gardens
  • BHG Shop
  • marie claire
  • Instyle
  • Beauty Crew
  • New Idea food
  • Women's Health
  • Men’s Health
  • Home Beautiful
  • All Recipes
© 2019 Pacific Magazines
Get more from

Magazine Subscription Offer

That's Life Mega Monthly! -SAVE UP TO 20%

Shop This Offer
That's Life Mega Monthly!