The pure elation on my husband’s face turned to pure terror. On the cold white page of a medical text, Pfeiffer syndrome type 2 is a genetic disorder that causes skeletal and systemic abnormalities. Craniosynostosis is the premature fusing of the bones in the skull, sometimes resulting in “cloverleaf skull,” in which the eyes are located outside the sockets. Brachydactyly is the fusion of bones in the hands and feet, causing a webbed or pawlike appearance. Anal atresia is the absence of an anus, indicating life-threatening abnormalities in the colon and bowels. I learned all this later. I
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