Family shows solidarity with their 4-month-old who needs a helmet

Gary and Shayna Gutierrez, parents of two from San Antonio, Texas, found out last week that their 4-month-old son, Jonas, has brachycephaly. The common diagnosis develops when an infant’s soft skull becomes flattened in one area, due to repeated pressure on one part of the head. As a result, Jonas will have to wear a helmet for three to six months — and the way the tremendously positive mom and dad are handling the situation is beyond inspiring.

Shayna Gutierrez tells CafeMom her son developed a flat spot on his head because he’s such a good sleeper. Shayna Gutierrez photo

Maressa Brown, CafeMom July 30, 2017

Shayna Gutierrez tells CafeMom her son developed a flat spot on his head because he’s such a good sleeper.

“He was born with a really big head, like the 99th percentile,” she tells us. “There is chance that his head even experienced some pressure and shaping in the womb, because he was so big. He also was a great sleeper from the beginning, and so, as a mom of two, I was like, Awesome, he is such a good baby!”

She says she would feed him and then lay him back down as she healed from delivery and tended to her then-2-year-old, Camila. “In the first few weeks, he developed that flat spot, and because he slept so good, it just got worse,” the mom of two explained. “He has great muscle control, and does his recommended tummy time, but he just always settled on that spot and slept with his head right on it.”

By the time he was 4 months old, the pediatrician recommended an exam and little Jonas was diagnosed with “a severe case of brachycephaly,” his mom shared.

“His head grew so rapidly that it had started actually pushing his head out to the sides,” Shayna said. “It is even affecting his face shape and could distort his features if left untreated. At first, I felt a bit guilty but I got over that quickly. It is kinda like braces… Mostly cosmetic, could cause some issues, but can be fixed with some hardware pretty easily!”

Jonas got that hardware last week, and since then, the family has come together in an incredible way. Shayna Gutierrez photo

Camila, now 3, decided that she would wear a helmet alongside her baby brother. “I told her it was his helmet,” Shayna said. “She immediately wanted her helmet and all of our bike helmets! So, now she just regularly asks us to wear ours too!”

As you can tell from the now-viral photo of the kids and their dad wearing helmets together at the dinner table, they figured out the most adorable way to show solidarity with their LO!

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“Let’s be honest: Having two young kids can be tough, so helmets are probably a good idea anyway!” Shayna jokes.

But, seriously, it’s working out in mama’s favor. “Now, I feel a little less anxious if Camila throws her toys and hits Jonas or if he takes a dreaded tumble off the couch!” she says. “Just kidding, kinda!”