# Baby Is Born Without A Jaw And The Ability To Speak. 20 Years Later, He Reveals His Hidden Secret
It is estimated that 353,000 babies are born worldwide each day, which is about 255 births every minute, and about 4 babies every second. Out of that number, 15 million babies are born premature and 120,000 babies are born in the United States each year with some kind of birth defect. Although the statistics can provide us with facts and data on the topic, it cannot help us understand what those kids are struggling with, what the parents are going through and how they are all coping with the difficulties of everyday life. One of those kids is Isaiah Acosta, a boy born without a jaw and the ability to breathe or eat on his own, but what nobody knew was that life had great things in store for this brave fellow. This is his story!
Who Is Isaiah Acosta?
Isaiah Acosta was born on the 31st October 1999 in Glendale, Arizona, USA. He was born two months premature and due to that, he was fighting for his life. Right after the birth, he was without oxygen for 15 minutes and doctors told his parents, Tarah and Sergio, that he was unlikely to survive and that if he did, he would not be able to walk or talk, and would be practically bed-bound. But the doctors did not know what kind of a fighter Isaiah was.
Isaiah also suffers from multiple unrelated disorders and medical conditions, the most severe being agnathia, a very rare condition that is marked by the absence of one or both jaws. Isaiah was born without the lower jaw and respiratory pathways so he is not able to talk, breathe or eat on his own. He breathes through a tracheal tube in his neck and eats through a tube in his stomach.
Little Giant
In addition to the previously mentioned conditions, Isaiah also suffers from a congenital condition called situs inversus, which practically means that all of his vital organs are reversed or mirrored from their normal positions. Despite the prognosis given by the doctors, Isaiah has beaten all the odds. Although he cannot talk, he can walk, think and hear everything perfectly. He did win the battle for survival, but he continues fighting for a better quality of life every day.
Childhood Lost
Isaiah’s life hasn’t been easy for anyone, neither for his parents nor for him. He is not a regular boy and he needs 24/7 care. The tube he uses for breathing needs cleaning at least three times a day and it has to be changed once a week. Not to mention the danger of suffocating due to blockages and many other dangers he’s facing on a daily basis. As a kid, it was unimaginable for him to go out and play with other kids without someone constantly checking up on him.
When he wants to see a movie with his friends, his parents have to be in the theatre. If he wants to go to a concert, someone has to escort him and carry all his medical equipment in case of an emergency. He cannot stay in his room alone, listening to music, like all teens do, without his parents coming in and checking up on him. He was and he still is 100% dependent on his parents.
A Child Like Any Other
On the other hand, his parents tried, as much as they could, to provide their child with life as normal as possible considering the circumstances. Isaiah graduated from the Apollo High School and has recently enrolled in his town’s community college. His parents did not want him to go to specialized schools dedicated to sign language because he is not deaf. He communicates through gestures, animated facial expressions and by typing on his phone. Tarah and Sergio did everything they could so that Isaiah could at least feel ’normal’.
A Lion to His Family
Although they tried, his parents could not protect him or defend him completely from the cruelty of this world, especially the kids at school. It was obvious that he was different from the other kids – he looked different, he behaved differently and he even breathed differently. So needless to say, he was the victim of a lot of peer bullying and harassment. But he didn’t allow it to get the better of him. “I am full of life and I am not letting anyone take that away from me”, he said for the Untold Miracles Podcast.
His Second Home
Since the moment he was born, Phoenix Children’s Hospital has been his second home. He has gone through numerous surgeries and treatments for the past 20 years. The PCH is a part of the parent organization, Children Miracle Network Hospitals, whose aim is to raise money for the injured and ill kids as well as to raise funds for children's hospitals, medical research, and community awareness of children's health issues. Isaiah eventually became a volunteer in the hospital, helping other kids with similar problems.
Having spent most of his life inside the walls of the hospital, he befriended many kids there and he dedicated his life to helping them accept themselves for who they are, and not for whom the society wants them to be. That’s why, when offered a cosmetic jaw, he refused it because it wouldn’t actually provide a better quality of life but only make him more appealing to our eyes. That was not something he was willing to risk his life for.
A Dream Come True
From the very beginning of his life, it was more than obvious that he was like no other child. He has been destined for greatness. At the age of 5, he got interested in music, more precisely rap. He started writing lyrics as a way of communicating his feelings and emotions. His dream was to become a rapper. He only had one problem – he couldn’t speak.
However, that turned out not to be an issue for him. In 2016 he attended a Children Miracle Network function in Washington D.C. as an ambassador for the Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Isaiah told some people at the event, via texting, that he would like to become a rapper. And the Children Miracle Network producer, Topher Horman, saw no reason for Isaiah’s dream not to become a reality.
A Big Brother He Never Had
Horman asked a Phoenix rapper, Tikey Patterson, aka Trap House, to work closely with Isaiah, rap his lyrics and provide him with a physical voice. They immediately hit it off the moment they met. Trap treated Isaiah like any other person, accepted his differences and appreciated them. Trap’s voice became Isaiah’s power and he used it to deliver his messages through music. They had so much fun working together that Isaiah would often forget that they were actually working.
Oxygen to Fly
The first song they recorded together was “Oxygen to Fly”, released in 2017. They also made a video for it that became viral almost instantly. The song is autobiographical, telling Isaiah’s story and his struggles to find the voice while living with serious medical conditions. Following the song becoming a huge hit, Trap and Isaiah started performing together in Florida and California. They were feeling on top of the world!
Other Projects
The next year, Isaiah and Trap released another song “Hate is for the Weak” about the harassment and bullying Isaiah had been going through since going viral. They really liked working together and Isaiah appreciated the fact that Trap took him seriously. The point of rap music is to give a voice to the voiceless and Trap had the opportunity to do exactly that, which, for him, was priceless.
Although it wasn’t his voice on the recording, Isaiah was the one picking the beat and picking the production because Trap wanted the end-result to be the way Isaiah had envisioned it to be. “I also loved what he’d written and could tell immediately that he had talent. It was an incredible experience to work with Isaiah and interpret his poetry to come across as a rap song,” Trap said to PEOPLE Magazine.
Shooting for the Stars
The duo became a huge hit across America and Isaiah was living the life he had once only imagined. In 2017, Isaiah was a panelist at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas and on his 18th birthday, he opened for one of the most famous independent rappers in the world, Tech N9ne. He performed in front of celebrities such as Nick Cannon and Marie Osmond and opened for other artists, such as Rich the Kid and many more. He was living the dream!
Misery Strikes Again
But life was preparing another blow for him, the one he has been having a hard time recovering from. In January 2019, his colleague and a beloved friend, Tikey Trap House Patterson, died after losing the battle against pancreatic cancer. The roles became reversed, and now Isaiah was the one visiting his friend in the hospital. Trap was suffering from pancreatitis before he was diagnosed with cancer in November 2018.
Isaiah was there for him the whole time, until his last breath. “He was right with him, holding his hand,” Tarah said. Weeks after Trap’s death, Isaiah said he still felt numb and that he relied on his faith to go through it all. He is determined to keep Trap’s legacy, continue their work and share kindness. “Trap House did tell me he didn’t want me to stop. He wanted me to keep going.” After all, he has come a long way to give it all up. Trap and Isaiah recorded a third song too that has yet to be released.
The Untold Miracles
In July 2019, Isaiah gave an interview for the Untold Miracles Podcast with Kelli Davis. He talked about the miraculous circumstances around his birth and the medical challenges, and how he had overcome bullying. He advised other kids facing the same hardships to talk to their parents and encouraged them by saying they were not alone. He raised awareness about children with disabilities by saying that he had a lot of friends with serious, life-threatening conditions and the only thing they wanted was to be treated like everybody else.
Making a Difference
He dedicated his whole life to helping others the way he can. He feeds the homeless, provides for the needy and gives his voice for the voiceless. He might not be able to speak but he has his words and the whole world is listening. “It’s the best feeling that no money can buy”, Isaiah told.
Connecting Through Music
Being who he is and spreading his words across the nation, Isaiah has come across many celebrities who support and appreciate what he does. His Instagram account has 115 thousand followers including celebrities such as Post Malone, Nick Cannon, and Jennifer Lopez. He once said he would like to cooperate with Post Malone and Travis Scott on his future and upcoming projects.
Going Independent
Like any other 20-year-old boy he wishes to become independent, to go to college, to drive a car, to live a normal life. His parents are used to taking care of him but now they’ve come to a point that they need to let him go, at least a little. He craves what any normal person wants – freedom. The problem is that all his medical problems are still his reality and he cannot run away from that.
However, he is determined to start a new chapter of his life. In January 2018, he posted a video on his Instagram account showing him changing his own tracheal tube for the first time in his life. “In life, you have to overcome your fear. Something I had to do for 2018,” he wrote. He wants to finish college, get a job and continue being a part of the music world. His family supports him no matter what and they will be there for him as they have been all this time.
The Word of Inspiration
Isaiah Acosta has served as an inspiration to all the people out there, struggling and fighting their own battles. He is living proof that people can achieve anything in life if they really want it. He loves life and he never gave up despite all the hardships and misery. “We all have a purpose and we have to learn to live and move on, even with pain”, Isaiah said.
People all around the world recognize him and they find motivation and strength in his words and in his work. That is his purpose and that is his “why”. “What is your why in life?” he wrote on Instagram, “I’m here to say tomorrow is not promised or guaranteed. My why is to change what the eyes see, save (lives), give hope as long as I’m on earth”.
We are very happy to continue following his life story on social networks and through his songs. He taught us a valuable lesson that anybody can live a dream, no matter what they are going through and what they are struggling with in life. And all we have to say is kudos for you, Isaiah, and we wish you the world of happiness and a lot of luck in all your future endeavors.
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