Jesse James Arrigo is a baby that shouldn't be. Before he was even born, his mother had surgery while fighting cervical cancer and was told she could never have children. A year later, Jessie was born.
But this was just the start of his incredible story.
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Transcripts
Danny:
Jesse James Arrigo is the baby that shouldn't be. Before he was even born, his mother had surgery while fighting cervical cancer and was told she could never have children. A year later, Jessie was born.
Danny:
In May 2012, Jesse was planning his grandparents backyard and fell into the pond. His mother Kristin found him and pulled him out of the water and began to give him CPR. Even as he was being treated within an hour of being pulled from the pond, first by the paramedics and then the emergency crew, Jesse suffered two cardiac arrests. He then suffered seizures, dystonia and double pneumonia and fell into a coma. The diagnosis was not good, due to the amount of time he was underwater without oxygen. To put it bluntly, Jesse was expected to die.
Danny:
The thing is, children have a wonderful way of not listening to adults and those who know better. Doctors said Jesse would never eat unaided again. Today, he's able to swallow on his own. Doctors said he'd never be able to speak. Today, Jesse can whoop in delight at the sound of music. Doctors said he'd never be able to understand the world around him. Today, Jesse can track the movement of noise and people. And today, Jesse is at home when his world threatened to be one surrounded by hospital food and strangers.
Danny:
His battle is far from over. He has to have special oxygen treatment to try to resuscitate the parts of his brain damaged by the 55 minutes he was without oxygen. But it's a battle Jesse's winning every single day. Today, Jesse can shed tears from the ducts that were meant to be destroyed. The baby shouldn't be is the person that wants to be. Here's to his victory.
