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A fan-favorite former “Bachelorette” lead has shared semi-frequent updates on her family since welcoming another child last year, and that latest baby just underwent surgery. Emily Maynard surprised “Bachelor Nation” in November 2022 by revealing she had welcomed her sixth child. Not only had she kept that pregnancy under wraps until after her delivery, she shared that her new baby, Jones West Johnson, was born with Down syndrome. Maynard and her husband, Tyler Johnson, had not been aware of Jones’ condition prior to his birth. The news was a shock, but Maynard has shared that his arrival has been a blessing. The baby boy was born with some other health complications as well, and his recent surgery was related to one of those.
Here’s what you need to know:
Baby Jones Was Born With a Colon Abnormality
After Jones’ arrival, Maynard told People he was also born with a rare congenital colon abnormality. That abnormality meant that Jones needed surgery almost immediately after his arrival, and it kept him in the neonatal intensive care unit of the hospital for a month after his August 31 birth. She told People at the time the need for him to stay at the hospital for so long was “devastating.” The former “Bachelorette” explained, “I was just grieving all of it and that the experience was so different from what I had expected.” She added, “Waking up the next morning hearing all the babies crying down the hallway while I was in the room alone, it hurt so much.”
Just a few weeks after leaving the hospital, Jones was slated to have another surgical procedure. Now, in an April 27 Instagram Story, Maynard revealed her baby boy had undergone yet another surgery. The photo the “Bachelorette” star posted showed Jones in a hospital bed and hospital gown, and he was covered with a cozy blue blanket. He grinned and seemed to be reaching for his mama as a stuffed animal rested on top of him. “I love him so much,” Maynard wrote in text over the photo. She added, “And for those that have asked, he had an ostomy reversal and it went great.”
Baby Jones Should Be Able to Head Home Soon
As the Mayo Clinic explains, an ostomy is “a surgically created opening in your abdomen that allows waste or urine to leave your body.” Kaiser Permanente adds that during the initial surgery, the bowel is separated and attached to the opening created by the surgeon. The waste is then collected in a bag that is affixed to the opening. In a reversal surgery, the bowel is stitched back together and the surgeon closes up the stoma. It is not always possible for people who have received an ostomy to be able to have it later reversed. Luckily, in Jones’ case, his medical team determined it was an appropriate next step for him.
According to Cincinnati Children’s, it is routine for a child to stay in the hospital three or four days after the procedure is done. The Bladder & Bowel Community website indicates the ostomy reversal surgery is “usually technically less demanding” than the initial surgery and typically takes 1 to 2 hours to complete. As Maynard mentioned in her Instagram Story, Jones’ surgery went well, and “Bachelorette” fans will likely be eager to see additional updates as he recovers and heads home.
While Maynard was shocked and initially in denial about Jones’ Down syndrome diagnosis and other health issues at birth, she quickly adjusted and fell head-over-heels for her sixth child. “Looking back on my life, a lot of things happened that I wouldn’t have planned,” she told People after announcing his arrival. “But I wouldn’t change my life for anything. And I wouldn’t trade Jones for any baby in the world.”
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