# Amazing. Baby has foot removed from brain. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 17, 2008, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-baby-has-foot-removed-from-brain/477538 "2008-12-17T10:44:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-baby-has-foot-removed-from-brain/477538/1 "2008-12-17T10:44:20Z")
I had to link to this article about a newborn that had surgery to remove a tumor. There was a foot and leg formed on the brain. Supposedly the baby is alright after the surgery. Here is the link to the story which contains a picture of the foot and brain before removal. > **[Springs newborn had foot, other body parts, embedded in brain](https://www.denverpost.com/2008/12/15/springs-newborn-had-foot-other-body-parts-embedded-in-brain/)** > > Springs newborn had foot, other body parts, embedded in brain Add www. before the above above for a working Url. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-baby-has-foot-removed-from-brain/477538/2 "2008-12-17T10:54:01Z")
Sounds to me like there may have been two embryos originally and that one was semi-absorbed by the surviving twin. Sad, freaky, but not at all unique really. ---
**Author:** ![Ellef](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8dc957/32.png) [@Ellef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellef)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-baby-has-foot-removed-from-brain/477538/3 "2008-12-17T13:31:59Z")
D’awwwwww, that’s such a cute little foot! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-baby-has-foot-removed-from-brain/477538/4 "2008-12-17T13:45:51Z")
> [@](#): > > A growth in the brain of newborn Sam Esquibel was believed to be a tumor, but in fact was a nearly perfect foot. I guess it’s not a tumor. ---
**Author:** ![Henrichek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5daacb/32.png) [@Henrichek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henrichek)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-baby-has-foot-removed-from-brain/477538/5 "2008-12-17T15:15:01Z")
I wish I had spare parts too. ---
**Author:** ![pantheon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6bbea6/32.png) [@pantheon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantheon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-baby-has-foot-removed-from-brain/477538/6 "2008-12-17T15:45:08Z")
The sparrows are flying. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-baby-has-foot-removed-from-brain/477538/7 "2008-12-17T16:35:57Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > Sounds to me like there may have been two embryos originally and that one was semi-absorbed by the surviving twin. [Vanishing twin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanishing_twin). Very sad and a little freaky. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-baby-has-foot-removed-from-brain/477538/8 "2008-12-17T16:40:08Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > I guess it’s not a tumor. Au contraire. It may well have been a [teratoma](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teratoma). ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-baby-has-foot-removed-from-brain/477538/9 "2008-12-17T17:05:45Z")
Apparently they missed seeing it ahead of time when they tested, so it was a surprise during surgery. Someone bring this to the attention of the writers for _House_. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-baby-has-foot-removed-from-brain/477538/10 "2008-12-17T17:30:54Z")
I wonder if the pro life people would consider that an abortion. The fact that an embryo has no brain has never stopped them from considering it a human being, the leg-foot is still distinct and unique human life, at least more developed than an embryo cell. So is it an abortion thus forbidden by many religions? ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-baby-has-foot-removed-from-brain/477538/11 "2008-12-17T17:55:53Z")
Now if they could just effectively remove some people’s feet from their mouths. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-baby-has-foot-removed-from-brain/477538/12 "2008-12-17T18:04:28Z")
I hope this experience sharpens surgical skills so it will be less painful the next time I need my foot extracted from my mouth – or if Red needs his foot extracted from Foreman’s ass. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-baby-has-foot-removed-from-brain/477538/13 "2008-12-17T18:06:35Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > Apparently they missed seeing it ahead of time when they tested, so it was a surprise during surgery. Someone bring this to the attention of the writers for _House_. They did one of these already, but they used chimerism. [http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-chimerism.htm](http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-chimerism.htm)