The massive recall earlier this year of tainted powdered baby formula turned out to be "a blessing in disguise" for a Michigan family, whose emergency room visit with their sick baby led doctors to an even more important discovery.
Mary and Jared Ritsema welcomed baby Mariah 15 months ago after a previous miscarriage, NBC affiliate WOOD-TV reports.
But six month after their "rainbow baby" was born, Mariah began appearing lethargic and sick. Their pediatrician couldn't give them answers or a diagnosis.
Around the same time, the Food and Drug Administration announced it was investigating powdered formula linked to an Abbott facility in Sturgis, Michigan, following four reports that infants who had consumed it became seriously ill.
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“Our friend sent me a text and said, ‘Your formula’s been recalled’ and I said, ‘What?'” Mary Ritsema recounted.
The couple took Mariah to the emergency room. Once there, they received a more severe diagnosis: An ultrasound revealed a cancerous tumor in Mariah's brain.
Further testing confirmed it was Stage 4 neuroblastoma, a high-risk type of cancer that occurs most often in infants and young children, according to the American Cancer Society.
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“It’s more aggressive. It’ll come back if you don’t go through the extensive treatments,” Mary Ritsema told WOOD.
Mariah has been in and out of the hospital since March, undergoing chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants.
The treatment also revealed another problem. Mariah had fluid build-up in her brain, a result of complications from her birth that required forceps during the delivery. Mariah had an emergency brain surgery while undergoing cancer treatment.
“They cauterized the main artery off in the brain. She’s the second kid to ever have this surgery done at Helen DeVos (Children’s Hospital),” Jared Ritsema said.
Her parents say watching their tiny baby fight for her life has been the hardest part for the family.
“Jared has handled a lot of the hard stuff that I can’t handle" Mary Ritsema said. "Seeing your daughter get sedated and she’s 6 months old is heart-wrenching."
Helping their daughter through her medical journey has been challenging and costly. Jared Ritsema lost his job with a trucking company in order to be by Mariah's side. Family friends set up a GoFundMe to help raise money to cover Mariah's medical treatments and other household expenses.
“After having the opportunity to take care of Mariah and be home, I’m not going to go on the road for two to four nights (a week). There’s so much to be thankful for right here,” said Jared Ritsema.
