Christian parents Chris and Lacey Buchanan were thrilled upon hearing that they were going to have a son but they had no idea of the challenges they and their child would have to go through, The Mirror reports.
Shortly into the pregnancy, they received a call every parent dreads – something was wrong with their unborn son.
"Our little boy was diagnosed with a bilateral cleft palate and lip," said Lacey, 26. "We were crushed. How could this happen to us? Why did this happen to us? We're good people – why do we deserve this?"
The Christian couple were devastated but they continued with the pregnancy despite doctors' worries about the baby's survival.
On February 28, 2011, Lacey gave birth to Christian at the Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville at 9:32 am.
The couple were relieved that he had been born safely, but it soon became clear that Christian's condition was more severe than the doctors had expected. Not only did he acquire a cleft lip, but he also had clefted eyes.
The couple had mixed feelings: they were happy that he was alive but they were worried about how they were going to raise a child who could not see.
His condition also meant that they were not immediately able to take him home.
"Getting discharged from the hospital was a hard day," Lacey recalls. "We packed our bags and as we left in the car I remember seeing Christian's little seat, empty, and his nappy bag. We cried the whole way home.
"We had to leave our baby boy 60 miles away and go back to a quiet house that should've been ringing with the sounds of his cries."
Christian was finally allowed to go home after a month but his parents would have to battle with the unkind reactions of the people who saw Christian.
"Any time we took Christian out in public, people would stare," said Lacey. "They would whisper behind my back, 'Look at that baby! I even had one girl telling me I was a horrible person for not aborting Christian."
But, despite some harsh comments, Lacey stayed strong and remained steadfast in her conviction that Christian was a precious life.
"As he got older, he started laughing and playing. And when people would stare, Christian would start giggling – and they would giggle too," she told The Mirror.
Christian has become an inspiration to others while Lacey continuse to share his story on Facebook.
"People began to tell me how much Christian inspired them and how beautiful he is, so things got a little easier," she added.
Two years after Christian was born, the couple was blessed again with another son, Chandler, who is perfectly healthy.
Christian has since undergone a palate reconstruction surgery to help him digest food and more surgery is likely to take place in the future, but in spite of everything, he is a happy and active child.
"Those judgmental glances and whispers don't really bother me anymore," Lacey says, "because I know that Christian is beautiful, inside and out. He is the love of my life and a miracle. I am so glad I chose life."
