this is "nightline." >> tonight, parents get some of the worst news of their life. >> we were terrified. >> but there is hope in they act before their baby is born. only a few hospitals in the country can pull off surgery in the womb. tonight, one family braves a risky procedure that could give their unborn daughter the chance for a healthy future. plus family feud. fresh pain for robin williams' loved ones. with a new legal battle over his estate. the late comedian's children facing off against his third wife over his trust. why his widow is asking for his tuxedo and more. and do the ghosts of your exes live on in your phone? if breakup by text can happen to

katy perry it can happen to anyone. the video going viral with real-life stories of digital heartbreak. >> you don't want me to come? >> but first the "nightline 5." >> at book club they were asking me what you're doing now. >> blogging. >> blogging pictures of you in a mirror. >> it's a fashion blog. >> i've been helping people save money with progressive discounts. >> can you get janice a job? >> you should have stuck to softball. >> so much better at softball. >> discounts by homeowners, multi policies. >> paperless discounts. >> give it a rest, flo. >> number one in 60 seconds.

good evening. tonight you're going to meet

parents wrestling with an agonizing decision. a pregnant mom and her husband learn their baby has a disease and they opt for a cutting-edge but risky in utero surgery. what you're about to see may be tough to watch. but as my "nightline" coanchor byron pitts reports, both the procedure and the result are extraordinary. >> reporter: baby lowell ross may look like your typical 1-year-old girl. no sign of the long journey this has been for her and parents shelley and bobby ross from massachusetts. before she was even born she was diagnosed with spina bifida which occurs when the backbone and the spinal column do not form properly, leaving a gap or opening in the spine. >> we remember the day we got the diagnosis, spina bifida. waiting, waiting. they come back and get us. the doctors said, you know, there's some things we need to talk about. >> reporter: the news was crushing. left untreated, she could be

born with developmental problems, nerve damage paralysis. >> we were terrified. so they said, your options are to terminate, to get the historical post-bird surgery for spina bifida or there's this newer surgery they'll do in utero that you could maybe qualify for. >> reporter: the surgery done while inside the womb is documented in a new three-part series airing this week on pbs titled "twice born." stories from the special delivery unit. the documentary highlights the amazing working by doctors inside the special delivery unit of the children's hospital of philadelphia philadelphia. the c.h.o.p. families' emotional roller coaster ride. as unborn babies undergo life-threatening procedures to correct various birth directs. c.h.o.p. is only one of a few hospitals nationwide that perform fetal surgery. of the roughly 4,000 fetal

surgeries about one-quarter have taken place here inside c.h.o.p. dr. scott adzik is the surgeon in chief and one of the early advocates of fetal surgery. >> 30 years ago folks thought we were totally wacko, nuts. the thought of diagnose an operation before birth on a healthy pregnant mother was just wild. >> reporter: he's still performing those life-altering surgeries and takes his job to heart. >> personally i try and put myself in the place of that parent for what i would want for my child. if you put the family and the child up like this, and you do the very best you can for them in an honest way, what they decide i think will be the right thing for them. >> probably going to have weakness at the hip. >> reporter: dr. jewelry moldenhahher is the director of c.h.o.p.'s special delivery unit and is often the bearer of difficult news.

>> it is really hard to tell parents the news they don't want to hear. imagine sitting on the other end of that receiving this information what that blow is going to be, it takes the breath out of a family. >> reporter: we watch that pivotal moment unfold as they lay out the risks for shelley and bobby and their baby luelle. >> let's talk about potential complications. it's possible we could do the operation and the baby could die during the operation. you could also deliver prematurely. if you deliver very prematurely, we could lose the baby due to immature lungs. we're going to take great care. sign that and then -- >> reporter: fetal surgery for spina bifida is possible between five to six months into a pregnancy. >> it is an operation not only on the baby, who in a way that is everything to gain to have a better outcome not a cure mind you. but the mother is really a healthy, innocent bystander.

has to undergo considerable risk. >> reporter: it wasn't an easy decision for the rosses to make even when some doctors say medical abnormalities say deformities are easier to fix when the development is early. >> why should anyone do this? >> the reason we chose to do it is it did improve the outcome by 50%. there was enough success for us to justify the gamble. >> it's going to give shelley peace and rest and do the same for the baby protect him lord from any complication. >> reporter: it's the day of the procedure. shelley is 23 1/2 weeks pregnant. her highly spilled team of specialists at c.h.o.p. are executing their special plan. it's a risky procedure. if things go badly shelley could experience internal bleeding or in the worst case premature birth or death. while shelley is under

anesthesia, the team begins. exposing the uterus and finding the baby with ultrasound trying to find the safest place to make the incision. the baby's back now visible is injected with a narcotic and muscle relax ant. >> that's just to make certain that the fetus is anesthetized. even though the mother is under deep general anesthesia which anecessary tis the baby we don't want the fetus stressed. >> reporter: the hole in the baby's back can be closed preventing more damage to the spine. the surgery is a success. >> everything's fine, honey. everything's fine. everything's fine. just get some rest, sweetheart. >> the next 48 hours are really crucial. and we have to always have our guard up because we don't know what's going to happen completely. >> reporter: but it's not over yet. >> here we go again. >> reporter: a few weeks later during a routine follow-up shelley's ultrasound reveals new trouble. complications that could cause the baby to come early. >> just say, i'm not comfortable

with you being here in case something happens quickly -- >> shelley's admitted back into c.h.o.p. they uproot their lives from massachusetts to philadelphia until the baby is born. two weeks later -- >> how you doing? >> good. >> daddy-o gets here we'll have a birthday party. >> please keep breathing. >> reporter: the baby is born 6 pounds 12 ounces. >> hi, beautiful! >> hey, baby! >> you are a cutie! >> you okay? >> uh-huh. >> so this is luelle. >> i love it. >> so cute. >> you know that voice? >> reporter: they name her lue luellle, a bright shining light. a metaphor not so much for the past they endured but the future they pray for. >> the process was so hard during the pregnancy.

i thought about her constantly. she was with me constantly. but i was terrified. i was so afraid of you know -- still sometimes am but i have a better perspective now, i think. >> reporter: for patients like luelle, it means a lifetime of complications. >> luelle. >> i dread the day where she comes home and someone says something about how she walks. because if she walks she'll walk differently. >> it will be interesting to see how she navigates that. even right now seeing her personality, she's going to be the type of person that will endure the worst life has with a smile. she's endured a lot already. and yet the moment i walk in the door, the moment she walks in the door she's smiling hi. she's already been a light. >> reporter: light powered by love, fueled by the explainable of science and the unexplainable of faith. for "nightline," i'm byron pitts in south hamilton, massachusetts. >> "twice born: stories from the

special delivery unit" begins airing on pbs tomorrow night. the battle over the robin williams estate. his children and his widow now fighting it out in court. who gets to keep his oscars? and those famous suspenders? n paper towels but i had to use so many sheets per spill... the roll just disappeared. i knew i should've bought bounty. bounty is 2x more absorbent and strong when wet. just look how much longer bounty lasts versus one of those bargain brand towels. and that's a good deal. bounty. the long lasting quicker picker upper and now try new bounty with dawn. available in the paper towel aisle. this is my body of proof. proof of less joint pain. and clearer skin. this is my body of proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis from the inside out... with humira. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both

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for the family of robin williams, the shared sorrow over his death has now descended into something else acrimony. there is a bitter court battle going on over his estate. we have seen this with so many celebrities. abc's linsey davis is on the story tonight.

>> reporter: less than eight months after robin williams' tragic suicide at his home in tiburon, california, his family is locked in a bitter feud over the late comedian's estate estimated at around $50 million. the issue now, 1,200 items that belonged to williams including valuable collections and personal mementos. >> the fact that we're in court is not a happy thing for anybody. >> reporter: this morning an attorney for williams' third wife susan schneider, squared off in a san francisco courtroom with the lawyer for his three children from previous marriages to protect the items that she thinks are rightfully hers. >> we're trying to honor robin williams' wishes. that his wife can stay in the home and not have the home stripped of the normal things that are in a home. >> reporter: schneider said in court documents she's not seeking any entertainment memorabilia from her late husband's career. including the suspenders that he wore on the "mork and mindy" show. the breakout role which made robin williams a star. but she claims in court documents that days after

williams' death last august she became frightened by the cotrustees after they removed items she feels are rightfully hers. >> $50 million sounds like enough for everybody but you can't put a price on what you value. some of those items, things that robin williams collected over his lifetime, both sides are saying, those things are priceless. >> reporter: the co-trustees and williams' children deny removing anything from the home schneider shared with their dad. williams' daughter zell la speaking out on tumblr saying my brothers and i have not at any point since dad's death been invited to or visited his and susan's house in tiburon, nor have we removed anything from it. in court documents they say their stepmother is adding insult to a terrible injury by interpreting their father's will in a way he didn't intend. >> his intention was to not have this in the courts. as an intensely private person mr. williams wouldn't have wanted this. >> reporter: schneider's

petition suggests she should have personal items from their home like the tuxedo williams wore at their wedding less than three years ago. she asked his extensionve collection of watches be excluded from the list of jewelry intended for his children. >> the art on the walls the furniture, her wedding presents. those are the things that stay. the other things such as the academy awards statue and other items, they clearly go to the kids as mr. williams wanted. >> reporter: she also claims she's entitled to his collections of knick-knacks. but court documents submitted on his daughter zelda's behalf object getting specific about what his children believe is rightfully theirs. an eclectic array of keepsakes as diverse as williams' legendary career. from "mrs. doubtfire" to "good morning vietnam." >> good morning vietnam! >> reporter: his oscar-winning role? "good will hunting." >> you don't know about loss. because it only occurs when you love something more than you love yourself.

>> reporter: off screen williams struggled mightily with depression and substance abuse. his fierce frenetic humor onscreen masked his true inner turmoil. he went to rehab twice and spoke about those dark times with abc's diane sawyer. >> so to talk about it as caused by something -- >> it's not caused by anything, it's just there. it's latent. late. it's late. lays in wait for the time you think, it's fine now, i'm okay. and then, beep! then the next thing you know, it's not okay. >> reporter: the substance abuse reportedly cost him his second marriage. but then he got clean for the sake of his children. >> the one thing that cleaned it up was having a kid. >> reporter: this is far from the first time a high-profile celebrity estate fight has spilled into the headlines. >> when you compare robin williams' will to a lot of other celebrity wills and situations we've seen out there, it's not that bad. >> reporter: when the king of

pop michael jackson died in 2009 he left a five-page will that placed his assets in a family trust, designating his three children and his 79-year-old mother, catherine, as the sole inheritors of his massive wealth. he intentionally cut debbie rowe, the mother of two of his children and his father, joe jackson, out of his will. when aaron spelling died one of the richest and most influential men in hollywood, he all but cut his famous daughter tory out of the will. the reality star and former cast member of "90210" grew up in her dad's palatial estate which later sold for $85 million. shortly before spelling died he decided to change his will dramatically reducing tory's share. she spoke out about the ordeal with abc's elizabeth vargas. >> and he said, you're going to be okay. i made sure you're getting just under $1 million. >> to most people it's a lot of money. >> it's a lot of money, of course. part of me in the back of my head maybe hoped it would be different.

>> reporter: the rest of aaron spelling's estimated $500 million estate went to tory's mother, candy spelling. at that point, tory and candy's rocky relationship turned icy. the two didn't speak after aaron's death. >> these estate battles get so ugly because it becomes personal. in some ways it becomes about pride. >> reporter: robin williams' widow and children are hoping their dispute can be resolved quickly. the late actor was intensely private about his personal life. and attorneys for both sides now say they hope to settle this dispute quietly, out of the courts, and away from the spotlight. for "nightline," i'm linsey davis in new york. up next on "nightline," dumped over text? katy perry singing about it on "ghost." the video going viral with people sharing their digital breakup horror stories. >> i'm not sure we can do that again, after all, i'm still technically married.

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[beep] how can i help my daughter with her reading? [beep] searching for help with dachshund breeding. how can i help my daughter with her reading? [beep] information on hot water heating. no! sara's bright, but when she's reading she has trouble sounding out the words. [beep] world music. playing track now. [music] no! let me try. [beep] our daughter gets confused about which details in a story are important. [beep] which paper towels are most absorbent. what? there are five product reviews. why are you not getting me? see, i told you. [beep] wait, i was trying to show you how sara feels everyday. frustrating, isn't it? redirecting to understood.org. narrator: for the one in five kids with learning and attention issues this is what life can feel like. explore understood.org.

a free online resource about learning and attention issues designed to help your child thrive in school and in life. understood.org. because understanding is everything. in the old days people either broke up in person or with a handwritten note sometimes called a dear john letter. those days are over. >> sorry i rescheduled our date. i actually have a girlfriend. >> i'm not going to pretend it's working. >> have you been dumped by text message? comedians eva and mel owens, youtube stars, ask 20-somethings to read the last text they received from their exes. >> hey! >> the video posted on youtube

has gone viral. in just over a week it has skyrocketed to more than 1.5 million views. >> we woke up one morning like, oh my god! >> the art of the breakup has come a long way from the days of "sex and the city." the inspiration, still the same. >> having relationships, not really break up but just kind of fade away. >> one day you're suddenly not texting anymore. you're like, oh. i guess that's that. >> reporter: even pop superstar katy perry is familiar with the text message breakup. her now ex-husband russell brand informed her he wanted a divorce via text. >> don't come over. there is no chilling. >> reporter: melanie decided to find the humor in those last messages. they brought together a group of friends willing to share their sad endings with the cameras rolling. >> can't

>> reporter: for those who think these messages can't be real think again. >> this is a land line number. >> there was no need. i think that's what made it so real and interesting. like people could relate. because they were just what they were. >> i just wanted you to know that i'm making $100,000 a year now. >> it's like, thanks for the update? like, i don't know. on my way. >> she has the memory that he was on his way. >> reporter: they say millennials have perfected the text message breakup. >> i'll keep you posted. still waiting to be posted. >> the phrase "breaking up is hard to do." we don't like hard things. everyone just kind of takes the easy road and just goes silent. >> reporter: they say it's not all bad. sometimes the text you thought went unanswered was, in fact. >> oh my god, he did respond how did i not see this? no, no! he responded! >> reporter: that may be something worth celebrating. >> he responded, yes, yes, yes!

>> have you ever saved a final text from an ex? head to our "nightline" facebook page to share it with us. thank you for watching abc news tonight. "world news now" is coming up soon. tune into "gma" first thing in the morning. as always we're online 24/7 at abcnews.com. thanks again for watching and good night.

♪ ♪ ♪ female narrator: for over 60,000 california foster children a pair of shoes is a small but important gift. my shoes have a hole in them. i can barely fit in these anymore. i hope no one would notice. they hurt my feet. i never had new shoes before. to help, sleep train is collecting new shoes of all sizes. bring your gift to any sleep train, and they'll be given to a local foster child in need. not everyone can be a foster parent...