Toddler alive against all odds, gets amazing party from firefighters for 2nd birthday
By: CNN
VALLEJO, California (KGO) -- In Vallejo Wednesday, was a birthday party for the ages.
It was a gathering of firefighters and a family they know very well though difficult circumstances.
We have never seen a party like it, especially for a two-year-old like Michael Reading.
"He loves fire trucks," said his mother, Emily.
"I have to tell you, we needed Michael as much as he needed us," added Captain Heather Marques of the Alameda County Fire Department.
The fact that Michael Reading has made it two years is a miracle. He was born with a rare condition, Neonatal Marfan, which inhibits his connective tissues. Michael has had three open-heart surgeries. Historically, 95 percent of patients do not survive one year. 98-percent never reach two. Now imagine being his mother, and dealing with that.