Kailyn Lowry Reveals Son Needs Surgery After Being Misdiagnosed

Reality TV star and podcast personality Kailyn Lowry is opening up about a scary health emergency for her 2-year-old son Rio, who she says will need surgery after what she thought was a simple hernia turned out to be something much more serious.

Speaking on the July 21 episode of her Coffee Convos podcast with Lindsie Chrisley, the Teen Mom alum talked about the emotional rollercoaster she has been on since spotting a worrisome lump above Rio's belly button. At first, Kailyn chalked the bump up to a harmless side effect of his swim lessons. "He has to roll over and float on his back." That's how, she said, she has theorized that he is not eating. "I thought the stress of that created this little lump that looked like a hernia."

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That first diagnosis from a doctor vindicated her mother's intuition. However, months passed, and the lump didn't disappear. If anything, it became even more noticeable. "Over the last couple weeks, I've noticed this protruding out of his abdomen," she reported. Disturbed by the transformation, she contacted her former fiancé, Elijah Scott, Rio's dad. "So, I texted Elijah and I'm like, 'Hey, I've got to call the pediatrician and get him in for this because at this point, it's worse than it was last year."

That visit ultimately uncovered that the condition wasn't just a hernia but something that would need surgical intervention. Kailyn did not reveal precisely what they're facing healthwise, but did confirm that Rio is scheduled to have a procedure to remove the mass from his abdomen. For the mom of seven, this latest scare is a sobering reminder of how parents' instincts can be so easily discounted, even by professionals. Kailyn is still bravely sharing every moment of her new journey with motherhood, ensuring that she continues to leave no stone unturned while reminding other parents to fight tooth and nail for their kids, even if it doesn't feel like you should.