Michael was born 11/09/89 with Apert syndrome, which causes abnormal bone and cartilage formation. Some plates in his skull were fused, and so were his fingers and toes.
His lungs did not fully open at birth. He was ventillated orally, due to tiny nasopharyngeal space, and tube-fed orally for the same reason.
He couldn't suck due to a cleft palate, and had his first tube of Mum's milk at eight days, when he could come off the oxygen long enough.
A tracheotomy was performed at the same time as his first head enlargement, by Mike Poole at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, March 1990. The trachy stayed in for three years.
Steve Wall, Michael's current cranio-facial surgeon, performed the next two head ops in 1995 and 2004, also at the Radcliffe.
To read Apert Syndrome by Steve Wall follow the link, click 'Medical Information', and choose article. See also Distraction & Sleep Apnoea from BCH, and Headlines Cranio Facial Support Group
