‘RHOBH’: Teddi Mellencamp’s 4-Month-Old Daughter Dove Diagnosed With Lambdoid Craniosynostosis

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Teddi Mellencamp, the daughter of singer John Mellencamp, is asking for prayers after revealing her 4-month-old daughter Dove was diagnosed with Lambdoid Craniosynostosis and needs surgery by the end of the month. The 39-year-old Mellencamp said she was unsure about going public with the news, but she decided to use her platform as a reality television star to help parents in similar situations. Mellencamp and husband Edwin Arroyave welcomed Dove in February.

As “someone who tries to be as transparent as possible,” Mellencamp decided to tell fans about Dove’s diagnosis. “Our sweet baby Dove was diagnosed with Lambdoid Craniosynostosis and has to undergo neurosurgery at the end of the month,” she wrote. “We are so grateful to have an amazing team of doctors and surgeons who have caught this early and will be working on her.” Mellencamp said Dove’s doctors made the diagnosis when she had a CT scan because they thought she was born with Torticollis.

After the surgery, Dove will spend about a week recovering in the hospital and then a couple of weeks at home. Although the procedure has a very high success rate, “we are filled with nerves as neurosurgery sounds scary, we have our faith that she will be ok,” Mellencamp wrote. She went on to ask her fans to keep Dove “in your prayers and if you have had a child with this same surgery, please let me know below, as I would love any additional insight and support. Sending [love] to you all.”

Lambdoid Craniosynostosis is a rare “non-syndromic craniosynostosis and occurs when one of the lambdoid sutures at the back of the head fuses before birth. It may be associated with other forms of syndromic craniosynostosis where more than one suture is fused,” according to the U.K. National Health Service. The cause of the condition is not known. The main symptom is a flattened back of the head, usually a sign that one side of the lambdoid suture fused too early. “In some children, the abnormal skull shape causes raised intracranial pressure so regular monitoring will be suggested – this is done using regular eye examinations,” the NHS notes.

Dove is the youngest of Mellencamp and Arroyave’s three children. The two are also parents to 5-year-old son Cruz and 7-year-old daughter Slate. Arroyave, the CEO of Skyline Security Management, is also father to 11-year-old daughter Isabella from a previous relationship. She joined RHOBH in 2017 for the show’s eighth season.