I'm thoroughly amazed at how bright and alert she is.

The longer we go without putting a shunt in, the less likely she'll need one. We're cautiously optimistic.

We need to get the back closed. The concern here is meningitis. If the baby gets an infection on the back, that infection can spread to the coverings all over the brain and the baby may die, so time is of the essence.

The back actually looks very, very good. She's doing everything that a well-loved 4-month-old baby should be doing. You pick her up and hold her and the smile comes out.

She is very strong because her family is strong.

She will definitely need to be in a wheelchair.