Family campaign to get newborn sloth named after their son who died of rare condition

Oliver loved sloths, but died after suffering from a rare condition, his family hope to honour him and spread awareness of his disease

Oliver Nicholson (WTHR13)

A family has set up a petition to urge the Cincinnati Zoo to name its new baby sloth after their son, who passed away.

Alyssa and Alex Nicholson’s baby son Oliver loved sloths. He was born with one hand and two fingers, due to a rare disease that causes complications from birth. When the couple found out their local zoo was expecting its first baby sloth, the Nicholsons had the idea.

The pair created a Change.org petition called “Name the baby sloth after Oliver”, so far it has 47,000 signatures.

Oliver’s condition, known as VACTERL – which stands for vertebral defects, anal atresia, cardiac defects, tracheoesophageal fistula, renal anomalies, and limb abnormalities – affects one in 10,000, according to research published by the US National Library of Medicine. “It isn’t genetic and has no known cause,” wrote Ms Nicholson on her petition.

Oliver and his twin, Atticus, were born prematurely in October 2019. Oliver was 19 per cent smaller than his twin. Along with issues with his hand, Oliver had heart problems, one kidney and narrow airways.

Oliver Nicholson (WTHR13)

During an operation in January 2021, Oliver slept with a soft toy sloth and had a big “hang in there” sloth balloon.

People came up to the family at the hospital to tell them about a sloth being pregnant at Cincinnati Zoo, “it was a two-toed sloth, and Oliver had one arm and two fingers,” said Mr Nicholson to local news network WTHR-TV.

Oliver sadly passed away on 17 February in the shadow of Cincinnati Zoo.

“We had his ‘hang in there’ balloon above him and buried him with a lovey sloth,” explained Ms Nicholson. “We still have his favourite stuffed animal sloth with us and it reminds us he is still here with us.”

The family hopes that by naming the baby sloth after Oliver they can create some awareness about VACTERL, raise money for other children and honour their son’s memory.

The two-toed baby sloth is expected to be born any day now at the Cincinnati Zoo to its eight-year-old mother Lightning and 21-year-old father Moe.

The Independent has contacted the Nicholsons and the Cincinnati Zoo for further comment.