Jenna and Dan Haley of Philadelphia learned early on in Jenna’s pregnancy that their unborn son, Shane, has anencephaly, a neural tube defect that results in the brain and skull not forming properly. Doctors are unsure of what Shane’s quality of life will be, or for how long he will survive. Anencephaly is fatal, and babies born with it typically only live for a few days at most.
Jenna and Dan Haley announce their pregnancy
While the news is heartbreaking, Jenna and Dan have decided that they will treasure whatever time they have with Shane, both before he’s born and after. They began a list of all the places they wanted to take Shane and create lasting family memories with him, and have created a photo record of their travels, which include concerts, baseball games, museums and tourist spots. Their travels are documented on their Facebook page, Prayers for Shane, which has more than 250,000 likes.
The couple keeps a scrapbook full of the places they’ve been with Shane, checking off items as they’re completed.
The Haleys visit New York
The Haleys go to the beach
Dan puts together Shane’s crib
In Philadelphia.
Visiting the Strasburg Railroad
Baseball is big with the Haleys, so they’ve taken Shane to some games
After picking out a pumpkin for Shane, the couple awaits his birth, expected to be October 12
As of last week, the Haleys crossed their final goal–a visit to Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute–and went pumpkin picking, and are now anxiously awaiting Shane’s arrival. His due date is set for October 12. While the Haleys don’t know how much time they’ll have with their son after that, they have already created memories with him, and will have those memories to treasure forever.
