It was 36 hours after she gave birth before Adrianna Contoleon could hold her baby.
Almost immediately after her emergency C-section, the Brisbane mother was in theatre again — this time for brain surgery.
Ms Contoleon has spina bifida with T12 paraplegia and hydrocephalus, creating fluid build-up on the brain.
She had already undergone several major surgeries to become a parent, including neurosurgery while her baby was still in the womb.
When she finally saw her daughter Layla, it was “pure joy”, she said.
