In April 2004, Sarah and Ricardo welcomed a baby at a hospital in Peru — and the doctors were absolutely shocked when they saw her.
Milagros “Mili” Cerron looked fish-like, with her two legs fused together from groin to ankles like a mermaid tale. Most of her internal organs, however, were in perfect condition.
Mili was born with Sirenomelia, or “Mermaid Syndrome,” and it’s one of the rarest birth abnormalities in the world. Babies born with this condition also lack external genitalia, so Mili’s gender was not even identified until three weeks later during chromosomal testing.
The condition was so rare that doctors had only ever seen it in text books. There have only ever been 300 known cases of mermaid syndrome.
Mili, who was given the nickname “Little Mermaid,” underwent rounds of leg separation surgery. And by the end of the video below, you’ll see she made a stunning transformation.
1. Exterior, hospital
2. Doctors and nurses moving the baby
3. Doctor examining joined together legs of baby
4. Doctor examining body of baby
5. Baby being cleaned up and examined by medical team
6. Doctor examining baby
7. Nurse holding baby
8. Mid shot, doctor
9. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Luis Rubio, Doctor:
"The causes could be genetic, hereditary, sort of nature''s mistakes as the growing body progresses. But there can also be other environmental causes: toxic, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, radiation. Many causes can be the reason for such congenital malformations."
10. Close shot, baby
11. Baby being taken care of
12. Various, baby crying
13. Doctors reviewing x-rays
14. Various, doctors explaining the x-rays
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