NJ miracle baby: Missing piece of skull, survives rare condition

GARFIELD — A New Jersey baby is defying the odds months after being born with a rare, life-threatening condition that stems from missing a piece of skull.

The condition known as exencephaly was diagnosed in-utero when Maria Santa Maria, of Garfield, was just 10 weeks pregnant, according to the North Jersey Brain & Spine Center.

"In early March, our pediatric neurosurgeon, Dr. Tim Vogel, with the assistance of our own Dr. Hooman Azmi, successfully performed a complex procedure on a newborn boy with a rare, life-threatening neurological condition. Dr. Vogel notes, 'After only a week in the NICU, he was able to go home eating and breathing on his own. Each day he has is a blessing.' We work together to provide the best possible treatment for our patients," the center shared in a post on its Facebook page.

ABC7 Eyewitness News did a story on the family, which you can watch below:

As reported by the New York Post, the family, which also includes three older sisters to baby Lucas, there is another surgery on the horizon which will involve further reconstruction of the baby's skull.

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