Child's Birth Year
2023

State/Province/Territory
Georgia

NICU Hospital for my journey
Emory Midtown

My NICU Graduate's Journey
Halo was born suddenly at just 23 weeks gestation weighing only 1lb 4oz and only 11inches long. She wasn’t breathing and had to be put on the ventilator immediately which she stayed on for 14 weeks long weeks. She had a grade 2 brain bleed that aggressively progressed to the highest grade, 4. Doctors told us she’d most like have cerebral palsy or hydrocephalus due to the aggressive bleeding. It just broke our hearts to hear that news but we had a strong faith and knew she’d overcome ANYTHING thrown her way. Every time a surgery was scheduled she would do just that, over come it with a complete 180 turnaround and not need the surgery at all. Halo stayed on the vent for so long with not much progression that they started to talk about her needing a trach in the near future. But miraculously, once again, within that same week she was able to be weened off the ventilator to just a cpap then high flow, low flow, room air only days apart. The doctors were amazed at how fast her progression was for the better; but me and her dad knew she would do it! Halo spent just 1 week shy of 6 months in the NICU where she also battled ROP of both her eyes, a PDA, sepsis twice, pneumonia twice, CMV infection, over 10 other infections and she overcame them ALL! Today she has no delays and is as happy as can be. Our Miracle.

What makes you proud of you NICU graduate?
Halo is the smallest baby I’ve ever seen and known and to just know that she fought so hard every single day to just survive makes me so emotional. Her strength is truly amazing.

Weight at Birth (lbs. or Grams)
1 lb 4 oz

Weeks Gestation
23 Weeks

Time spent in the NICU (Specify Day, Month, or Year)
174 days