MAFS NZ couple Brett and Angel with their baby Vienna. Photo / @angelstarheron
MAFS NZ couple Brett and Angel with their baby Vienna. Photo / @angelstarheron
MAFS New Zealand couple Brett Renall and Angel Fulljames have revealed their baby daughter would be permanently blind in one eye if they hadn’t made a trip to the doctor on a “gut feeling”.
Fulljames wrote on Instagram that “What started out as a GP visit for what we thought was a bit of an odd eye, ended up with a trip to the specialist and then a trip to the hospital to look at it under anaesthesia all in the space of two weeks.”
The hospital trip revealed baby Vienna actually had a cataract in her other eye - and if her parents had waited to see a doctor about it she would have been blind within months, Angel shared.
She notes that cataracts are usually “genetic or are caused by significant trauma” but Vienna’s appeared to have grown from nowhere, leaving even the specialist “stumped”.
“We’re still kinda in shock. Obviously babies can’t talk about what they can and can’t see and it’s usually only found when it’s too late, if it’s not existing at birth ... Just counting our lucky stars this week and there is absolutely someone looking out for us,” the mum and reality star continued.
Until they hear back from the specialist about surgery for Vienna, the parents are “staying off Dr Google” and urging others to “go with their parental gut, always” when it comes to kids’ health.
Married At First Sight couple Brett and Angel will be welcoming a baby into their lives in April, 2022. Photo / Brett and Angel, Facebook
“Scary week of parenting to keep us on our toes,” Fulljames wrote.
Baby Vienna will likely need an eye patch following the surgery and then glasses.
The couple first announced they were expecting on social media in 2021, writing “Mum & Dad” while holding photos of the scans of their baby.
Kiwis were quick to congratulate the happy couple on their next milestone, having watched them find love on a reality TV series known for its dramatic scandals and manage to live happily ever after.
Following the show, Fulljames moved to Lincoln just outside Christchurch soon after filming MAFS and hasn’t looked back.
In early 2021, Renall revealed they had planned to start a family in the near future.
“We want to start a family so hopefully that’ll happen in 2021,” Renall revealed.
“We get asked that a lot, usually from family members, but when you add on a quarter of a million Kiwis asking you … we’re well aware that people can’t wait.”
Vienna was born on April 9, 2022, with Fulljames sharing the news on social media, writing, “10 days earlier than we were expecting, I went into labour and on Saturday 9th April our newest family member joined us.”
