Miracle baby: Every birth is a miracle, but Camella Ann Osterman, daughter of Mary and Bill Osterman of Tinley Park, can be considered a little more miraculous than some of her peers. Camella’s arrival July 8 meant she and her mom had beaten some pretty heavy odds.
In 1994, when the Ostermans’ first child, Dylan, was 11 months old, Mary Osterman was diagnosed with leukemia and underwent 10 months of chemotherapy and 2 1/2 weeks of radiation. Medication with steroids caused bone damage that required hip replacement surgery in 1996.
More Top Picks Best Skincare Fridges
“We had never lost hope that we’d be able to (have another child),” Mary Osterman said.
Losing hope is something she just doesn’t do. When doctors outlined her chances for survival, she told them, “I’ll walk out of this room. I have an 11-month-old child. (Failure to survive) is not an option.”
Mary, Bill and Dylan were thrilled when 8-pound, 1-ounce Camella arrived. “She’s absolutely adorable–not that I’m biased,” Mary Osterman said. “Just to look at her is a miracle in itself.”