Since Gabriel Sebastian was born with a rare genetic condition 17 months ago, his parents have remained by his side in the hospital. His health is so fragile that he has spent his entire life in the Edinburgh hospital where he was born. Teena Thomas and Sebastian Paul, originally from Kerala, India, have not spent a single night at home since.
Teena first learned about Gabriel’s health issues during a scan at five months of pregnancy. The moment she saw the image of her baby boy on the screen, silence filled the room—something was wrong.
Doctors informed them that Gabriel’s bones “weren’t really there,” his spine was underdeveloped, and he had extremely short limbs, leading to a grim prognosis. They were advised to consider terminating the pregnancy.
Teena shared her fears with BBC Scotland News:
“Sleep became impossible. How do you even begin to make that kind of decision? Lying awake, I could feel him moving so strongly, like he was saying, ‘I want to come into the world, Mama.’ How could we not fight for him?”
After further tests, they learned their baby had Spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia, a condition so rare that its impact on his life was unpredictable.
Gabriel was born via cesarean section on June 2, 2023, and has been at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People since then. Teena recalled:
“They didn’t put him on my chest; they scooped him up and ran.”
He was immediately placed in intensive care and intubated. The couple received accommodation through Ronald McDonald House Charities, where they have stayed ever since.
Gabriel faced numerous challenges: his chest was too small, his ribs were underdeveloped, and he struggled to breathe independently. At just two months old, he underwent his first major surgery—a tracheostomy.
Teena described a terrifying moment:
“One minute he was fine; the next his heart rate plummeted.”
Despite these trials, there are moments of joy. After 366 days in the hospital, Gabriel felt sunlight on his face for the first time after starting to tolerate his portable ventilator.
Teena expressed their hope:
“Gabriel’s smile is the most powerful thing… Through every invasive operation… he comes back smiling.”
This Christmas, instead of going home, Gabriel’s family has been invited to switch on the hospital’s Christmas lights.
The future remains uncertain for Gabriel; doctors are unsure if he will ever breathe on his own or speak. Nevertheless, Teena and Sebastian continue to navigate this journey with unwavering strength and resilience.
Trump’s Tariff Plans: A Day-One Agenda Against Drug and Human Trafficking In a bold move to combat drug and human smuggling, President-elect Donald Trump has announced plans to impose significant tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China immediately after his inauguration on January 20.
Government Unveils “Get Britain Working” Initiative to Combat Unemployment In a bid to rejuvenate the UK job market, the government has introduced its ambitious “Get Britain Working” initiative, promising extensive reforms aimed at reducing the benefits bill and increasing employment.