Baby recovers after a feather is pulled from her neck

Posted: Dec 13, 2012 2:34 PM by NBC News
Updated: Dec 13, 2012 3:04 PM

(KSNW) It's been a medical mystery, but little Mya is home again after doctors pulled a mysterious feather out of the side of her neck.

"As near as the pediatrician could tell, it was in her body for some time," says Aaron Whittington.

Aaron is dad, and says his 7-month-old daughter got very sick. Nobody was sure at first just why.

"Well, she had a low white blood cell count. She got a fever. We got antibiotics and they sent us home, but then it got worse," explains Whittington.

How much worse?

"Enough that during the day, her grandmother took her into the Emergency," says Whittington. "And we were just in shock at what the pediatrician found."

She found a feather. It was slowly working its way out of the side of Mya's neck. They discovered it after doctors poked and prodded Mya in and around her neck.

"And she was like, 'What is this?'" says Whittington. "She threw on some gloves and pulled out a two inch feather and she said this is a feather! And we were like, what do you mean a feather?"

The doctor was not sure how it got in there. Aaron and his wife, Emma, have no idea.

"Well, we've got a feather pillow but we haven't used it in months," says Emma. "We don't know how Mya got a feather. But she was not comfortable. So it must have been in there for months. And then when I look back on months I just remember when she cries, she always pulls this way (on her neck) but I just thought she had teeth or something. I think she's had that feather in there for a long time. I feel really bad."

After several trips to the hospital, the medical mystery has been solved. Even though the origination of the feather remains a mystery, the feather itself remains. In that hospital jar.

"Yes, we kept it," says Aaron. "Strange deal, all of this. I'm just glad she's feeling better."

By the way, Aaron says the feather will remain sealed in a jar. Far from Mya.