Mom Thought She Was Bringing Her Baby Home to Die, But Her Little Girl Proved Doctors Wrong

By Liz Boselli December 17, 2017 at 5:00pm

In 2003, Brianne Jourdin gave birth to a baby girl. Little Kenadie weighed in at just 2.5 pounds and measured only 11 inches.

Part of her brain was missing, and she was so small, the nurses called her “Thumbelina.”

Doctors told Brianne that her daughter would most likely pass away from severe brain damage, and gave her just days to live.

Unsure of how much time she would have with her, Brianne took Kenadie to be baptized the day she was born.

“It was like mourning,” Brianne said. “The idea of all of the life that you imagined for your child has suddenly been taken away.”

Kenadie miraculously lived past the grim life expectancy she was given, and at 8 months old, was diagnosed with a rare form of primordial dwarfism.

The condition can cause premature aging, bone fragility, respiratory issues, and more.

But 14 years later, Kenadie is still alive and thriving, baffling the doctors that once said she wouldn’t make it.

“She’s kind hearted, she is loving and wants to share everything with everyone. She is feisty, determined and independent,” her mom said.

While she stands at the size of a 2-year-old, Kenadie goes to a normal school and participates in extracurricular activities just like her peers.

Although Kenadie is the same age as her classmates, her academic development is lower. But she is determined to learn, and she instead studies other subjects and skills, such as cooking.

She also loves to ice skate and go bowling with her friends, and her mom couldn’t be more proud of her achievements.

“It makes me proud– it makes me cry– I cry every time she’s on the skating rink. Everything she does I cry,” Brianne said. “She has definitely proved all those doctors wrong. She had defied all odds. She has overcome so many obstacles.”

Kenadie still faces many risks, but perhaps the biggest is the threat of an aneurysm. Risks like these are closely monitored and will continue to be for the rest of her life.

But mom Brianne is determined to give her daughter a happy and full life, no matter what obstacles they face.

“It’s a reality we’ll lose her – I lose my breath for a moment thinking about it,” she said. “My hope for Kenadie’s future– my biggest hope for her– is I want her to be happy. I want her to smile and be successful.”

Submit a Correction →