Teen mom faces big challenges (4 photos)

This is Alyssa Plamenco.

She is 17 years-old.

Originally from London, Ontario, Alyssa had to experience a series of life changes which included moving to a new city, starting a new high school, and making new friends.

When Alyssa found out she was pregnant thirty weeks ago, she knew that the challenges she would soon face as a teen mom would only further serve to change her life.

However, her shock escalated when Alyssa found out that her unborn son, Bentley would also require a post-birth surgery for a rare condition known as Gastroschisis, a condition that affects 1 in every 500,000 unborn babies.

This condition is a birth defect which results in the child being born with their intestines on the outside of their body.

A rupture in the umbilical cord pushes the canal towards the outside of the body.

For Alyssa the whole experience has been extremely troublesome, “Being 17 years-old made me realize how hard this would be at first. It is hard enough being a teen and pregnant but finding out that your baby has a birth defect is terrifying, I was in shock for a week or two and have been having a hard time dealing with it” she said “I am extremely happy now though, I cannot wait to see him.”

After performing a series of ultrasounds on Bentley, doctors have decided to induce Alyssa at thirty-seven weeks in Toronto at Mount Sinai Hospital on February 20th.

Immediately after, Bentley will be taken to SickKids where a procedure will have to be performed in order to reinsert his intestines.

According to Alyssa, there are two options the doctors have in order to do this.

“The options depend upon whether or not he is born with his intestines swollen or not. If they are, the doctors will have to put a clear bag over his intestines called a ‘silo.’ This bag eventually loses air and with gravity pushes in the intestines through the hole. This is a much longer process. Option two requires the doctors to perform surgery immediately after birth.”

Within the first year after the operation, Bentley will have to be consistently monitored as babies who have this procedure performed often have a tendency to reject food.

A feeding tube will be used to ensure that Bentley will receive the proper nutrition he will require.

“Some babies have to have surgery performed throughout their lives if their intestines have been damaged when they are born. We really won’t know until we see how his recovery goes” Alyssa added.

On January 25th Alyssa alongside of her mother Christina Lapossie will be hosting a benefit for Bentley at the Garden River Community Hall.

All benefits will be put towards the travel expenses to and from Toronto as well as any medical equipment and procedures Bentley will require upon his return back to Sault Ste. Marie.

“I really appreciate everything that everyone has done for me so far, all the donations. They really help and I can’t honestly thank everybody enough. The benefit will really be an opportunity to help raise the funds necessary for us to stay in Toronto after Bentley is born and to tell people what Gastroschisis is, it will be a nice way to promote awareness of my son’s condition,” Alyssa said.

Tickets for the benefit are $15 dollars and can be purchased by phoning Christina at 705-975-2368. 

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