When Being “Born Twice” Saved a Life

LynLee Hope Boemer’s story defies belief. Before she ever took her first breath in the world, she was already fighting to survive—and winning.

Doctors performed a rare fetal surgery when she was just 23 weeks and 5 days old, removing a life-threatening tumor, then placing her back in her mother’s womb. Months later, she was born via C-section at nearly full term—and healthier than anyone expected.

The Diagnosis That Changed Everything

Margaret Boemer was about sixteen weeks pregnant when a routine ultrasound revealed something terrifying: her unborn child had a sacrococcygeal teratoma, a tumor growing from the baby’s tailbone. This isn’t just a cosmetic issue—these tumors can hijack blood flow, overwork the heart, and lead to fetal heart failure. Doctors warned Margaret that without intervention, LynLee’s heart would likely be unable to keep up.

Initially, some specialists advised terminating the pregnancy. But Margaret, with her husband, chose a more hopeful, though risky path: a fetal surgery in utero. The stakes would be high. Survival chances were estimated at around fifty percent.

Removing, Operating, and Returning the Baby

At 23 weeks and 5 days, a surgical team led by Drs. Darrell Cass and Oluyinka Olutoye opened the uterus. The procedure required partially removing LynLee—literally pulling part of her body out—to get to the tumor. The mass had become almost as big as LynLee herself. It was dramatic. Amniotic fluid spilled out, the heart slowed to nearly nothing, and every moment counted.

They managed to remove about 90 percent of the tumor and then carefully returned LynLee to the womb, sewing her mother’s uterus back up. Margaret went on strict bed rest for the rest of her pregnancy.

A Second Birth—and the Baby Is Now Growing Strong

On June 6, after nearly 36 weeks, LynLee was delivered via C-section. She weighed about 5 lbs 5 oz and showed signs of recovery almost immediately. But her journey wasn’t over. Eight days after birth, doctors performed another surgery to remove the remaining tumor tissue that couldn’t be reached during the fetal procedure.

In the weeks that followed, LynLee’s health continued to improve. Once a case described by some as nearly hopeless, she began hitting developmental milestones. Her heart had a chance to recover once relieved of the burden caused by the tumor.

What This Story Shows Us

• Medical innovation can rewrite the script. Procedures like this once seemed unthinkable; now they’re saving lives that seemed in jeopardy.
• High risk + high hope. The decision LynLee’s parents made was filled with danger—and uncertainty—but also profound belief that giving life a fighting chance matters.
• The mother’s strength in the shadows. Margaret’s experience—bed rest, fear, trust in a surgical team—often happens behind closed doors, away from the headlines.

LynLee’s “twice birth” isn’t just a medical marvel—it’s a testament to what can happen when science, compassion, and courage intersect.

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