23 Weeker Beats The Odds To be Home For Christmas
This holiday season is filled with many micro-preemies that have fought their way through the NICU in order to be home with their families this Christmas.
One baby caught my attention so I thought I would share his exciting beginning.
Samuel Hugh Westcott was born at 23 weeks gestation weighing a meager 500 grams (just an ounce over a pound).
After arriving via cesarean because he was sitting breach, Samuel surprised everyone by crying after he was born, which is VERY unusual for a baby who's lung have yet to fully develop.
Because of the dire situation, the hospital gave the baby's parents, Jeff and Kelley Westcott, a book of statistics and research outlining all the things that could go wrong, but they threw it in the garbage.
Over the next 5 months, Samuel was on a ventilator for 10 weeks and was forced to fend off a serious blood, lung infection and Nectrotising Enterocolitis (NEC), a deadly condition where the gasses from digestion break through into the lining of the bowel.
Like many parents in this situation, Samuel's mum couldn't even bring herself to register her son's birth until he was six-weeks-old.
"I was not sure whether he would live and I did not want to do anything that would jeopardise or jinx it," Mrs Westcott said.
"I let my guard down after ten-weeks and I thought we were getting closer to the door and then he became sick."
Now that the little man is home he still needs medical assistance and is tube fed every 3 hours.
His development will be watched closely so that delays can be picked up on quickly.
I am sure that this family is just happy to have Samuel home and that the many appointments he has are just a reminder of how lucky they are that he survived his early arrival.
Related Articles:
- Ferrill Quintuplets Celebrate First Birthday
- Baby Born During Ice Storm Doing Well
- Parents ‘Last Good Bye’ Saved Their Baby’s Life
Comments