"We found out that Bowie had a cleft lip and palate during our 20-week ultrasound. When our doctor delivered the news, he told us that it was usually just cosmetic, but he set an appointment with a team of specialists to be sure it wasn’t a sign of something more.

It was probably the scariest moment in my entire pregnancy. I was racked with guilt and fear that our baby wasn’t going to be okay, and that I did something wrong along the way to harm him. We held our breath until that next appointment, and we were scared to hear the worst, but instead we were greeted with the best news! His heart was healthy and he was healthy. We knew his cleft journey would be rocky at times, but we were so grateful to hear our boy would be okay at the end of it all. By the time I was in my third trimester of pregnancy, I didn’t really think about his cleft. I thought about who he would grow up to be, who he would look like and all the fun things we would do together as a family. 

His first year was full of challenges, like getting his NAM device (Nasoalveolar molding which is reshaping therapy) after just a week old and learning how to change his tape without harming his skin. I cried the first time because he was so small compared to the tape and device which were so large. I wanted so badly to not have to put my little baby through everything he was about to face. Then we had to evacuate and bounce from home to home for a month after Hurricane Ida. 

I was doing my best to pump during this time, but because Bowie couldn’t make suction or latch, I wasn’t receiving natural stimulation, and it made pumping and producing enough really difficult. He had pretty bad reflux, which is usual for cleft babies because of the air they take in while drinking, but it made sleeping/pumping impossible. He also drank slowly and needed to be held upwards for an hour after all feedings. By the time you were able to lay him, it was time to pump again. We eventually switched to formula when we discovered he had a milk intolerance, and then we had to fight the formula shortage that was sweeping the nation.

He also had two major surgeries in his first year; the first to amend his lip and the second to repair his palate. The recovery was challenging for both surgeries, but our little boy was strong and happy despite everything life has thrown at him. He was even smiling, stitches and all, by the time we got home from his lip repair. He’s now 15 months old and putting his newly repaired lip and palate to good use by constantly snacking and eating everything in sight. Although his biggest surgeries are behind us, his cleft journey will continue, and we are confident that he’ll continue to be in good spirits for all the things to come."

-Mother of Bowie

"They All Ask'd for You" by the Meters was a go to song for Bowie's family during his infancy and journey.