I was heartbroken when my baby was born without a bum – doctors knew something was wrong when he pooed out his penis

WHEN Harata Gemmell gave birth to her fourth child, she was overwhelmed with joy. Despite being tiny, doctors assured her that Archie was thriving. It wasn’t until she was changing one of his first nappies that something seemed off. When Archie’s mum changed one of his first nappies, she instantly knew something was wrong Credit: Medavia She alerted nurses who sent in a doctor to examine Archie’s bottom Credit: Medavia “Having changed thousands of nappies in my time, I’d never seen anything like it,” says Harata, 35, from Macraes, New Zealand. Still at the hospital, Harata alerted nurses who sent a doctor in, who examined Archie’s buttocks. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! But nothing could’ve prepared Harata and partner Cody for the news that Archie would need emergency surgery at merely hours old. The doctor said Archie didn’t have an anus. Instead of excreting from his bottom, it was coming out of his penis. “I was heartbroken,” Harata says, unable to bear the thought of her baby suffering. It forced Archie, now five years old, into a gruelling, years-long battle of nine operations and pain, which is far from over yet. The family are raising funds to cover the cost of travel, accommodation, and specialist care. Most read in Health Archie was born in December 2020, the fourth child of Harata and Cody, then 25. “We couldn’t wait to introduce him to our three other kids, Mariah, then nine, Chloe, five, and Levi, three, who were staying with friends,” says Harata. “While I was stitched up, a paediatrician checked Archie over. “‘He’s perfect,’ the doctor assured me, placing him in the crib at my bedside. Doctors soon discovered that Archie had been born without an anus Credit: Medavia Archie’s mum had been alerted to the issue when she noticed stool coming out of his penis Credit: Medavia “Weighing 2.7 kilos, Archie didn’t have a big appetite and after his first feed, he slept through the night without stirring. “Doctors put his lack of appetite down to an uncomfortable tongue tie. “I trusted the doctors, but when I discovered stool in the front of Archie’s nappy the next morning, I was concerned.” Being a mum to four little ones, Harata had changed her fair share of nappies. What was so strange about Archie’s nappy changes was that his waste was collecting at the front of his nappy and not the back. This was Harata’s first sign that Archie’s poo was coming out the wrong exit, later confirmed with the diagnosis. “He had a urethral fistula, which meant instead of stool moving through the natural passage, it was being redirected out of his penis,” says Harata. A few hours later, Archie was airlifted to Christchurch Hospital. Harata and Cody drove over five hours to meet him there while she was still recovering from her caesarean. By the time they arrived at 4:30 pm, Archie was in theatre, with surgeons creating a colostomy (stoma). Instead, his waste would come out of an opening in his tummy (stoma) and collect in a bag outside the body. “Thankfully, the eight-hour op was a success,” Harata says. Archie was airlifted to another hospital and had surgery to have a colostomy put in place Credit: Medavia The operation was a success, but Archie’s grueling journey was sadly far from over Credit: Medavia But seeing her newborn boy “in recovery, his tiny body snaked in wires” was extremely difficult for the couple. After nine days in hospital, Archie was allowed home to his siblings. Harata says: “I told them, ‘Archie was really sick, so doctors gave him this bag to save him’.” With a colostomy in place, Archie had a safe way to pass waste while giving doctors time to plan how to build him a rectum. But it wasn’t smooth sailing, as from eight weeks old, Harata noticed Archie’s intestine was protruding through his stoma – a prolapse. In March 2022, at 15 months old, surgeons first tried to create a new rectum. The family used a dilating tool at home to prepare his body to pass waste without pain. Harata says: “Despite the op being a success, he became incredibly constipated as his body struggled with the changes, causing severe bloating in his tummy. Archie never had a full nappy, instead he only eliminated a little bit of waste at a time. “Constant straining caused his rectum to become prolapsed, which required another surgery to repair. At 15 months, Archie had surgery to close his stoma and reroute his intestines out his rectum Credit: Medavia But Archie suffered from a lot of pain whenever he went to the toilet, so his colostomy bag was reinstalled when he was almost three years old Credit: Medavia “Despite all he had been through, Archie met all his milestones on time. “Still, he struggled to go to the toilet without pain, resulting in two more prolapses. “By the third time, I’d had enough of seeing my boy so distressed.” Harata told doctors that trying to give Archie a natural way of passing stool was not working out. In September 2023, he had the colostomy bag put back in to stop his suffering. “While he was under the knife, doctors discovered Archie had developed a diverticulum – a small pouch that forms in the colon wall caused by high pressure on the bowel – as well as two urinary stones,” says Harata. “Doctors believe it grew from the scar tissue following fistula surgery. “No wonder my boy was in so much pain. Archie is now five years old and proudly shows off his colostomy bag, rather than being embarrassed Credit: Medavia What are anorectal malformations? Anorectal malformations (ARM) are a group of conditions some babies are born with that affect the bottom (anus and rectum). About 1 in 3,500-5,000 babies are affected by ARM, according to Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. Signs of a malformation may include: Your baby has not had a poo by two days old There is no hole (anal opening) for the poo to come out The anal opening is in a different place to where it should be (more closer to the vagina or scrotum) Poo might leak out from the penis or the area around the vagina Poo may be mixed with the pee Vomiting Swelling of the tummy The causes of ARM are not known and it is not caused by something parents have, or have not, done. The chance of ARM increases if your baby has a close relative with the condition or other genetic conditions. Source: Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust “With no immediate relief or treatment available, I placed Archie in a warm shower to soothe him while he relieved himself.” Archie is now five years old and his body has grown. Surgeons will attempt again to close his colostomy, so that he can pass waste naturally. It will be his tenth operation, and a “huge step in his journey”, which will “hopefully mean he can move forward without needing his stoma bag anymore”, Harata says. “When he’s not watching Paw Patrol, or tinkering with Cody in the garage, he’s riding his bike around the local park with his siblings,” says Harata. “Instead of shying away from his difference, Archie proudly shows off his colostomy pouch to everyone he meets. “‘I’m Archie and I have a bag where I poo,’ he says, lifting his shirt to educate other kids at the playground. “For now, he’s happy and free of pain – and that’s all we could ask for. “He’s our little fighter!” If you can and would like to donate to the family’s fundraiser, click here. Comment now