Dad Has Touching ‘Heartbeat’ Ritual With 6-Month-Old Daughter As She Recovers From Rare Illness

May 13, 2019 by apost team

Fathers and daughters share a special type of relationship, and 6-month-old Opal Trimble and her daddy are a perfect example of such a special bond. The baby and her father, Josh, have a special ritual that is all-the-more heart-warming due to Opal's rare health condition.

At just 4 months old, Opal was diagnosed with a neurological condition called acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM. This rare disease affects the spinal cord, the messenger system that carries signals from the brain.

People with AFM have reduced muscle tone and reflexes, which is already challenging enough in adulthood, but it can be detrimental to a developing baby.

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Opal is the youngest patient with AFM at the Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital in Oklahoma. Despite her condition, she still maintains a sweet disposition and is especially cheery to see her father.

Whenever Josh has to leave Opal's side, the two part in a special way. The ritual was originally captured and uploaded to Facebook by Grethen Trimble, Opal's mother.

When Josh locks eyes with his little girl, he beats on his chest with a fist. Seconds later, the baby does the same, never once breaking her loving gaze with her father.

The now-viral video landed the family a feature on "Good Morning America," where Josh revealed that the act is really him and his daughter "sharing a heartbeat." Josh explains that the day their ritual was developed, the family was praying about Opal's mobility, focusing primarily on her arms.

Since they formed this unique salutation, Opal has made progressive strides in her development. The baby's Facebook page, called "Opal's Fight-Team Trimble," revealed that Opal has been taken off a ventilator and is showing great progress.

This little girl has a long road ahead of her, but with such a loving and supportive family to support her, we know she'll be blessed with a good life.

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