The Story Of Noah Wall: The Brain Grows

The story of Noah Wall is truly surprising, being one of the few cases of brain development from an anatomical point of view. An absolutely fascinating phenomenon for science, which opens up horizons never thought of before in the field of research of the human brain.

This incredible case of brain development features an English baby named Noah Wall, born with only 2% of the brain. It is already unusual that he survived, but the most incredible thing is that at two years, thanks to the special treatments he received, his brain has grown to 80% of normal volume.

Adding to this incredible fact is the struggle that little Noah Wall’s parents have had to face since he was born. It is thanks to them, especially to the mother, that the baby is still alive and has become an example of how limits exist only in our mind. A story of faith, effort and perseverance.

The story of Noah Wall

Shelly Wall wished she had a baby more than anything in the world, and the news of her pregnancy made her immensely happy. The joy, however, did not last long, as following an ultrasound he received terrible news: his son suffered from a rare case of spina bifida, a malformation of the spinal cord in which one or more vertebrae had not closed completely.

But that wasn’t the only bad news. Doctors had detected a tumor in the baby’s brain, which prevented the gray matter from developing properly. Because of this, most of the brain remained liquid. The doctors’ advice was to terminate the pregnancy in the face of severe uncorrectable malformations. Noah’s life would be full of limitations and difficulties.

Everything indicated, in fact, that the child would not even survive the birth. Had he survived, a life of severe chronic physical and mental disabilities would await him. After discussing this, S helly and her husband Rob decided to continue the pregnancy. At the same time, they began to organize a funeral for the baby on the way.

A case of brain development

Doctors respected the couple’s decision, but imposed a non-resuscitation order, which is a ban on emergency medical measures if Noah stopped breathing during childbirth. Following a caesarean assisted by 12 doctors, Shelly gave birth to little Noah on March 6, 2012.

The newborn immediately underwent surgery to operate on spina bifida and drain the cerebrospinal fluid that filled most of the skull. To everyone’s surprise, the baby not only survived, but the operation was a real success.

Noah’s childhood was marked by doctors, surgeries, hospital visits, and his parents’ ongoing battle to help him grow. The child underwent neurophysical therapy, which combines physiotherapy, cognitive exercises and physical activity. Finally, the long-awaited goals have come: the baby’s brain has developed.

The story of Noah Wall: a world of hope

Noah Wall’s great advances occurred in his first three years of life. For neurologists, it is still unclear how a small portion of the brain could have learned the functions of other areas and favored similar cognitive development. Surprisingly, Noah’s story has not yet been thoroughly researched in science.

The little one managed to achieve 80% volume of a fully developed brain, reaching cognitive levels similar to any healthy child. We say “similar” because he still can’t move all his limbs, and the moment he moved one leg was publicly celebrated.

For her parents it was the hardest experience of their lives, but also the most rewarding; to share it, the hashtag #hugsfornoah was created. The neurologist who followed the case, Claire Nicholson, reiterated the incredible will to live of the little one, describing him as “an extraordinary child with two extraordinary parents”.