Born With 12 Fingers, This Baby Had Two Extra Thumbs That Doctors Couldn’t See on Ultrasound

During her pregnancy, Amanda had no idea that her unborn son was hiding something unusual.

On ultrasound scans, baby Wyatt often kept his thumbs tucked inside his closed fists. As a result, doctors did not identify the additional digits developing on his hands.

When he was born, his family discovered that he had 12 fingers, including an extra thumb on each hand.

His diagnosis was polydactyly with an additional triphalangeal component, meaning the structure of his thumbs was more complicated than simply having two extra digits.

Two Extra Thumbs and an Unexpected Bone

Wyatt was evaluated by specialists at Shriners Children’s St. Louis.

Dr. Charles Goldfarb explained that the boy had an unusual combination of extra thumbs on both hands and an additional bone that affected the alignment of his primary thumbs.

The extra bone was connected to the growth plate, making treatment particularly delicate.

Surgeons needed to consider not only the immediate shape and function of his hands but also how his fingers would continue developing throughout childhood.

Major Hand Surgery at Just One Year Old

When Wyatt was one year old, surgeons operated to remove the additional thumbs and straighten his primary thumbs.

Dr. Goldfarb and Dr. Lindley Wall worked simultaneously, with one surgeon operating on each hand.

According to Amanda, this coordinated approach meant Wyatt needed to remain under anesthesia for only approximately 45 minutes.

The operation was successful.

However, his treatment journey was far from over.

Six Hours of Travel for Specialized Care

Wyatt’s family lives in Wichita, Kansas, approximately six hours from Shriners Children’s St. Louis.

Despite the distance, they continued returning for specialized appointments and treatment.

By August 2026, Wyatt had attended 19 appointments and undergone two operations on each hand.

His medical team anticipated that he might require another procedure during his teenage years as his hands continued growing.

Doctors Once Questioned Whether He Could Write His Name

Before finding his specialists in St. Louis, Wyatt’s family had received a discouraging assessment from a doctor closer to home.

They were told he might require eight to ten surgeries and might not be able to write his own name by kindergarten.

But Wyatt went on to accomplish something remarkable.

He learned to write his name, including in cursive.

Then, while still a young child, he decided to write an entire book.

From Hospital Patient to Children’s Book Author

When Wyatt was in kindergarten, he told his parents that he wanted to create a book about his experiences at Shriners Children’s.

He dictated the story to his mother while sitting in the bathtub. Drawings he had made at age five helped inspire the book’s final illustrations.

He carefully reviewed the revisions and helped shape the finished project, titled Wyatt’s Big Adventures With Shriners.

His family arranged for a portion of the book’s sales proceeds to support Shriners Children’s and the Midian Plane of Mercy transportation fund, which helps families travel for medical treatment.

When the hospital published his story in August 2026, Wyatt was preparing to begin fifth grade.

The little boy once predicted to struggle with writing had become a young author, using his own experience to encourage other children to embrace their differences.

Source: Shriners Children’s St. Louis, August 11, 2026 — Wyatt: Young Author Gives Back.