A baby born at just 24 weeks and weighing one pound, six ounces – and who was so small her ‘nano preemie’ diapers fitted a Barbie doll – was finally able to go home after a 111-day NICU journey.
After five years of infertility, Jenn, 39, and Kevin, 41, from High Point, North Carolina, decided to pursue IVF treatment.
They found out their fourth transfer had worked and were expecting – but at just 23 weeks (about five and a half months) pregnant, Jenn went into premature labor.
Hospital staff did everything they could to keep the baby from delivering, but after five days of holding off labor, she was taken to have an emergency C-section.
Babies born at 24 weeks are extremely fragile, with many experts believing this is around the earliest they can survive, given their lungs and organs have not fully formed in the weeks prior.
Noah arrived with a broken collarbone and couldn’t breathe on her own, while Jenn was also fighting for her life, having developed an infection that caused her to go septic and spend three-weeks in hospital.
Over the months that followed, Noah, who had been intubated, remained in the NICU to aid her breathing before the family was given the news she could finally head home after 111 days.
The date, coincidentally, was also Noah’s due date, and as they walked out of Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, delighted hospital staff cheered them on.
The couple later shared the video from September 2, 2021, in a throwback post on social media, where their story has touched hearts and inspired other couples.
After returning home, Jenn said the family was able to find a routine that helped Noah flourish in early life despite a difficult start.
She added: “I was terrified – terrified to hold her for fear of hurting her tiny little body.
“We were unable to hold her for two weeks, but as soon as she was on my chest for the first time, I knew she was going to fight.
“It was instant love. We found out that we were being discharged a few days prior.
“We had no idea they were going to do this ceremony – we were just hopeful we’d get to say goodbye to a few of our favorite nurses.
“Typically, they do not let you carry your baby out – but after never holding her without being attached to wires, I insisted I get to have this moment.
“Right after, she was placed in her carrier to head out.
“It was just a huge relief: we had made it.
“There were so many times that we weren’t sure that all three of us would make it home.
“I don’t think there could be a greater feeling as a mom than to finally have your baby home.
“We waited so long to be parents, and it was a dream come true.”