'Best gift ever': Woman births 'miracle baby' hidden behind 22-pound cyst

LOS ANGELES - A California family is sharing their incredible story after their baby was born defying all odds.

What we know:

The mother gave birth to a healthy baby after doctors discovered he had been growing outside her womb. 

Doctors said the way her baby survived is a medical marvel. Almost all ectopic pregnancies like this one go on to rupture; they can be deadly to both the baby and mother. Making this even more incredible, the mom didn’t know she was pregnant until just days before giving birth.

The backstory:

Suze Lopez cradled her baby boy, Ryu, and is still amazed by the impossible way he entered the world. Doctors said Ryu developed outside his mother’s womb — hidden behind a 22-pound basketball-sized ovarian cyst — a medical case so rare it’s being called a miracle.

"Everything felt really fast. Normally people have time to think about a name or prepare for a nursery… I only had five days, so I’m still actually still processing it now," Lopez said.

The Bakersfield nurse didn’t know she was pregnant until just days before giving birth. As her stomach grew, she assumed the cyst she had for decades was getting bigger.

"I knew my stomach was growing. I was just thinking it was the cyst… so that's why I didn't feel any kicking at all," Lopez said.

Dig deeper:

When doctors at Cedars-Sinai finally scanned her abdomen, they found the unthinkable.

"We were able to mobilize that mass… and find this full-term eight-pound baby sitting in her abdomen behind the mass," said Dr. John Ozimek.

A team of 30 medical experts worked together to remove the baby and cyst. During the complex surgery, Suze lost nearly all her blood. Her husband, Andrew, waited and prayed.

"I might have seemed calm on the outside, but I was doing nothing but praying on the inside," Andrew Lopez said.

What they're saying:

But both mother and baby survived, and today, Ryu is thriving.

"The phenomenon of it making it to full term is almost unheard of," Ozimek said. "And the phenomenon of making it to full-term and having an essentially normal maternal and fetal outcome is—that’s why people are calling this a miracle."

"I do believe in miracles. God gave us this gift — the best gift ever so I’m very happy," Suze Lopez said.

What's next:

Doctors say cases like this are so rare, they will likely never see another in their lifetime, which is why they plan to document it in a medical journal. As for baby Ryu, he’s healthy, growing fast, and spending his first holiday season at home with his family.