WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT By ELIOT FORCE, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 22:03 BST, 25 September 2025 | Updated: 22:13 BST, 25 September 2025
A baby born with a rare defect that has left his face split in two is set to undergo transformative surgery.Brody Shain was born with a severe bilateral cleft lip and palate. His upper lip and the roof of his mouth did not fully form before he was born prematurely.The incredibly-rare condition appears in about one out of every 100,000 births.The infant from Rockwell, Texas also has an encephalocele in his mouth, another rare and serious birth defect where part of the brain protrudes through an opening in the skull, putting him at risk of infection and forcing him to eat through a feeding tube.Despite the 11-month-old's physical struggles, his mom Brandy has described him as having a smile that 'lights up every room,' and that he has 'been fighting with incredible determination'.His family have been fundraising to pay for life-changing surgery - and have now hit their $15,000 goal.Doctors at Medical City Children’s Hospital in Dallas have suggested surgeries that can improve the baby's appearance and quality of life. His family said the first surgery would be a 'major step toward allowing him to breathe, eat, and grow without the constant barriers of a feeding tube and oxygen.' Brody's condition is an incredibly rare birth defect that appears in about one in every 100,000 births Brody Shain, an 11-month-old baby, was born with a severe bilateral cleft lip and palateBut those surgeries are expensive. The out-of-pocket cost for just the first surgery will be $15,000, and Brandy had to stop working once her son was born to take care of him full time. The family said they were 'shocked' when they heard the cost and that they have no way to save for it as they are already stretched thin to cover the six-person household's basic necessities. As a result, they set up a fundraiser on GoFundMe with a $15,000 goal, the exact cost of Brody's first surgery. As of September 25, it has smashed the goal and stands at a total of $19,962 raised.'I can't wait to see what he's going to look like!', Brody's mother told NBCDFW. Doctor Jeffrey Fearon is part of the surgical team preparing to repair the baby's bilateral cleft lip and palate and remove his encephalocele. He specializes in cases like Brody's, having performed 12 similar surgeries in the past. The surgery essentially boils down to reconnecting the two seperated sides of the child's face. Brody's mother, Brandy Shain, had to quit her job to take care of her son full time Brody's family set up a fundraiser to pay for a $15,000 surgery meant to improve his appearance and quality of life'My specialty is trying to get kids so they are good enough in their appearance that maybe they experience a kiss in a warm summer night, or they can become involved in a relationship with somebody else, which is really what gives life meaning,' Doctor Fearon said. 'So yeah, I think Brody has a good chance of getting to that point.'Brody has already spent months of his short life fighting infections in the hospital. The first of his several planned surgeries is scheduled for late September, three days before his one year birthday. 'The big picture is hard to wrap your mind around, but as we go along, we just take it each day,' said Brandy. 'With these surgeries coming up, those encephalocles are going to be removed, the palate is going to be fixed, and that's one step closer to them getting to close up his face. The next surgery will be the closing of his face.'
