“She Was Born With a Wound”: Family Demands Answers After Newborn Suffers Deep Facial Cut During Emergency C-Section
What should have been one of the most joyful moments in Reazjhana Williams’ life turned into a scene of confusion, fear, and heartbreak inside a Denver hospital operating room. Instead of holding her newborn daughter with tears of happiness, she was left staring in disbelief at a long, stitched wound running across the baby’s face—a brutal reminder that something had gone terribly wrong.
Now, the family is speaking out, demanding to know: How does a child emerge from the womb already in need of a plastic surgeon?
A Dream Birth Turned Urgent Crisis
Reazjhana, a first-time mother, entered the hospital in June 2021 with hopes of delivering her daughter naturally. But those plans vanished in an instant when the baby’s heartbeat suddenly disappeared from the monitor. Medical staff acted fast, moving Reazjhana into surgery for an emergency C-section.
“I was barely given time to understand what was happening,” she recalled. “Everything moved so fast—from being told to take a pill to rushing into the OR.”
When her daughter, Kyanni, finally arrived, it was not the soft skin and tiny fingers that caught Reazjhana’s attention—it was the deep gash stretching across her newborn’s cheek.
“She was crying. And then I saw the cut,” she said. “It didn’t look like a scratch. It looked serious.”
The wound was so severe, Kyanni required 13 stitches from a plastic surgeon before her parents even had a chance to hold her.
What Went Wrong?
Hospital officials at Denver Health said the cut was a rare but recognized complication of emergency cesarean sections.
According to the medical team, Kyanni’s head was positioned abnormally close to the uterine wall or placenta, increasing the risk of contact with the surgical scalpel.
But for Reazjhana and her partner, Damarqus, that explanation doesn’t go far enough.
“Emergency or not, no one expects their newborn to come out with a cut that deep,” said Damarqus. “It’s been hard watching her wince and cry. You just feel helpless.”
Both parents are left with questions they say haven’t been fully answered—about communication, preparation, and whether the procedure was as controlled as it should have been.
A Rare Complication—or Preventable Trauma?
Medical experts acknowledge that fetal lacerations during C-sections can happen, particularly in urgent situations. Some studies suggest such injuries occur in fewer than 2% of cases. But many families, like the Williamses, are stunned to learn this risk only after the fact.
“Why wasn’t this ever mentioned?” Reazjhana asked. “They tell you about risks—but not this.”
Denver Health responded with a brief public statement:
“While this is a recognized but rare complication of emergency C-sections, we always strive to act in the best interest of both mother and child. The safety and well-being of our patients remain our top priority.”
Healing—and a Search for Accountability
In the weeks following the birth, Kyanni’s wound has started to heal, but her parents are still wrestling with the emotional aftermath. Reazjhana says she can’t stop replaying the moments leading up to the birth, wondering if something—anything—could have been done differently.
“We love her fiercely,” she said. “But it hurts knowing her first moments in the world were filled with pain.”
A GoFundMe campaign launched by friends and family has raised more than $11,000 to help cover medical costs and therapy for both baby and mother. The support has been overwhelming—but it hasn’t eased the family’s determination to seek clarity and, potentially, accountability.
Conclusion:
The birth of Kyanni Williams was supposed to mark a beginning—a fresh chapter filled with joy and hope. Instead, it has become a cautionary tale about the fragility of childbirth, the unseen risks in medical emergencies, and the pain that can linger long after the operating room lights go dim.
For the Williams family, this isn’t just about healing a scar. It’s about uncovering the truth behind what happened in those critical minutes—and making sure no other newborn enters the world already bearing the wound of silence.