Sam Esquibel was delivered on Oct. 1, just hours after an ultrasound showed what appeared to be a tumor growing in his brain.  Three days later, Dr. Paul Grabb went in to remove it, but instead ended up removing some limbs, ABC reports.

Grabb found and removed two feet, a hand, a thigh and what seemed to be part of an intestine growing inside the 3-day-old boy’s brain.

(Click here to see a photo of the foot. Warning: graphic content)

Grabb, the only pediatric brain surgeon in Southern Colorado, is now part of one of the most bizarre cases in medical history. 

“You show those pictures to the most experienced pediatric neurosurgeons in the world, and they’ve never seen anything like it,” Grabb told the Colorado Gazette. 

The reason for the growth is currently unknown, however some believe it could have been a teratoma, a congenital brain tumor that causes foreign tissue, such as muscle or teeth, to grow in the brain.

Teratomas however don’t usually grow as complex as a foot or a hand.  Grabb said that he sees a few teratomas a year, but none have matched Esquibel’s case.

Another possibility could be something called fetus in fetu, a developmental abnormality in which a fetal twin begins to grow within the other.

“I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Grabb told the Gazette. ”It looked like the breach delivery of a baby coming out of the brain.”

Esquibel’s mother, Tiffnie, confirmed there were no complications during her pregnancy prior to the Oct.1 ultrasound.

She told media that her son is recovering well.  She also said her family is longing to have their baby out of the international spotlight to avoid his being branded as some sort of freak.

‘This is our baby,” she exclaimed, in tears.  

Esquibel is currently undergoing rehabilitation, however his mother says he is healthy and happy.

“It’s a miracle,” she said.

Sachin Seth is the Blast Magazine world news reporter. He writes the Terra blog. You can follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/sachinseth