‘OutDaughtered’: Adam Busby Said it Was a ‘Gut Punch’ to Hear His Daughter, Hazel Busby, Needs Another Eye Surgery Soon
We’ve been keeping up with the Busbys from OutDaughtered for years, as Adam and Danielle Busby are the first parents in the U.S. to have all-female quintuplets. Aside from the quints, the couple also has their older daughter, making six daughters total. And Hazel, one of the quintuplets has an eye condition Adam and Danielle have been dealing with since she was born.
It looks like Hazel might have to get another eye surgery sooner rather than later, too. Here’s what happened on OutDaughtered.
Hazel Busby from ‘OutDaughtered’ has an eye condition called nystagmus
It was tough to tell the Busby quints apart when they were young, but Hazel’s the only one with red hair. And her glasses also set her apart from her sisters. Adam and Danielle explained on the show that Hazel was born with nystagmus, a condition that causes the eyes to move back and forth rapidly. And the little girl has already had to get corrective surgery once.
Back in 2016, Hazel got corrective surgery — and it worried Danielle and Adam. “This surgery fix is not even about her vision,” Danielle noted, “it’s more so to correct the placement of where her eye goes to focus better so she doesn’t have to turn her neck, which is a huge deal.”
While the parents hoped one surgery would be enough for Hazel, they knew her troubles would be ongoing. Danielle told Us Weekly that Hazel’s next surgery is “inevitable,” and they visit the little girl’s eye doctor every few months to keep up with the condition.
Adam and Danielle Busby noticed Hazel’s condition might be worsening
Danielle noticed that Hazel’s eye conditioning might be worsening, and she alerted her doctor via a video call due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. “She’s starting to have that little bit more of that tilt, that turn, of their face,” Danielle told the doctor, who goes by “Dr. Megan,” with Hazel by her side in an OutDaughtered clip. Daniele then continued by explaining Hazel turns her head to the left and looks out of the corners of her eyes to see.
“She’s just really getting more comfortable with that head to the left, kind of like, eyes to the corner,” Danielle added.
“We definitely notice it more when she’s watching TV and she’s not paying attention to it,” Adam added. “She naturally will go into that head turn to the left.”
Dr. Megan noticed the head turn via video chat as well. “I want her to walk and run and play without a face turn,” the doctor noted.
Adam called the suggestion for another surgery a ‘gut punch’
While Adam and Danielle knew Hazel would have to get another surgery, it seems it’s coming sooner than expected. Dr. Megan suggested Hazel should get surgery before she enters kindergarten.
“Dr. Megan’s talking about a surgery that could happen before kindergarten,” Danielle tells the camera. “That is soon. That’s just months away. It definitely gives me chills to think about having to go through that again and stuff.”
Adam then noted that this isn’t entirely unexpected, as he and Danielle had “kind of been anticipating” this. But hearing it from the doctor is a “gut punch. You’re just not ready for it.”
The doctor then told Adam and Danielle that they could talk about the timing of the next procedure, but it seems the soonest they can schedule the surgery is for 60 days away due to the pandemic.
“I don’t want to do another surgery until we have to,” Danielle told Adam. And Adam agreed.
We’re sure Danielle and Adam will do the best they can and make the right decision for Hazel and the rest of their daughters. Now that OutDaughtered is likely filming for next season, we’re anxious to hear more!
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