TULSA, Okla. — A local mom spreads awareness on her son’s birth defect that is not well known, but the CDC says is more common than Down syndrome.
The CDC says hypospadias is a birth defect in boys where the opening of the urethra is not in the right spot. Most of the time surgery is done to correct it. If it’s not fixed, it causes problems later in life.
Lexie Sabelo and her son River said that at four years old, River has already had four surgeries.
Local mom spreads awareness on son’s birth defect, more common than down syndrome
River, 4
“It was very hard as a mom to watch him go through all that, he’s definitely tougher than I am” Lexie said.
Lexie said the day after River was born, the doctor said he had hypospadias.
“He was like ah just hypospadias, easy fix, get in and get out, get it taken care of,” she said. “Two failed surgeries later, that was not the case.”
Local mom spreads awareness on son’s birth defect, more common than down syndrome
River, 4
Lexie said River had two unsuccessful surgeries in Tulsa before they took him to Dallas for a second opinion.