Cory Wharton, 31, and his girlfriend Taylor Selfridge, 27, welcomed a baby girl named Maya Grace, but the newborn has already experienced health issues. The Teen Mom alum revealed in a June 10 Instagram post that his daughter was diagnosed with Tricuspid Atresia, which as Cory explains, is a form of congenital heart disease that’s caused by an undeveloped tricuspid valve. Cory said that Maya had her “first successful surgery” on June 7 and she’s now recovering.
“She is doing very well, we can’t wait to bring her home & show her the love that she needs,” Cory wrote in his post about his baby girl’s health. The Challenge star further explained that Maya’s condition requires two more open heart surgeries, the first when she’s 4 to 6 months old, and the second when she’s around 3 or 4 years old. “Right now we are all trying to stay positive & having that successful surgery on Tuesday is something to celebrate,” Cory said. “That’s one down, we have two left.”
Cory admitted that he “debated for a long time” if he was going to publicly reveal his daughter’s health struggles. Ultimately, he decided to share the truth after being inspired by other “positive stories” that he and Taylor have seen on the internet. Cory said that he’s been visiting Maya in the NICU every but it “isn’t easy” for him and Taylor, who also share daughter Mila, 2. Cory also has a 5-year-old daughter named Ryder with ex Cheyenne Floyd.
Cory ended his lengthy caption on Instagram with a sweet message to baby Maya. “We are always right by your side,” the father of three wrote. “I’m so proud of you for going thru all this. You have a story, and we can’t wait to watch your personality blossom.” He added, “We can’t wait to have you home, So you just keep recovering and before you know it you’ll be home with us.”