Samuel Alexander Armas: Hand of Hope

A 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas was operated on in his mother’s womb by surgeon Joseph Bruner.

As Dr. Bruner completed the surgery on Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon’s finger as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life.

Dr. Bruner said when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life, and for an instant during the procedure, he was just frozen, totally immobile.

The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother’s womb.

Little Samuel’s mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta. She knew of Dr. Bruner’s remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb.

During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby. The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity.

Little Samuel’s mother said they “wept for days” when they saw the picture. She said,

“The photo reminds us pregnancy isn’t about disability or an illness, it’s about a little person”

Samuel was born in perfect health, the operation 100% successful.

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