A PREMATURE Baby Was Born At 22 Weeks And Five Days Like A Soup Can Is Celebrating Her First Thanksgiving
When Eris unexpectedly entered the world, she weighed 1lb 1oz. She was placed sᴛʀᴀɪɢʜᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴘʟᴀsᴛɪᴄ ʙᴀɢ ᴛᴏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ʜᴇʀ ᴠɪᴛᴀʟ ᴏʀɢᴀɴs ᴡᴀʀᴍ – ᴘʀᴇᴠᴇɴᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪsᴋ ᴏF ʜʏᴘᴏᴛʜᴇʀᴍɪᴀ – while mom Cayce Lee, 37, was under ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀʟ ᴀɴᴇsᴛʜᴇᴛɪᴄ Fᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴍᴇʀɢᴇɴᴄʏ ᴄ-sᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ in October 2020.
“The doctors sᴛɪᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ᴄᴇʀᴠɪx sʜᴜᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴘʀᴇᴠᴇɴᴛ ᴀɴ ᴇᴀʀʟʏ ʙʀᴇᴀᴄʜ, ᴀɴᴅ I ᴡᴀs ʜᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴘʀᴏɢᴇsᴛᴇʀᴏɴᴇ ɪɴᴊᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴs from about 16 weeks. At 19 weeks, the doctor’s found that I was already ᴅɪʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ by two centimeters. I managed to last another three weeks, which helped us to get Eris over the threshold where ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄᴀʟ sᴛᴀFF ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴠᴇɴᴇ ᴛᴏ sᴀᴠᴇ ʜᴇʀ ʟɪFᴇ.”
After going into labor, Lee was put under ᴀɴᴇsᴛʜᴇᴛɪᴄ ᴀs ᴀ sᴜʀɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴛᴇᴀᴍ ᴘᴇʀFᴏʀᴍᴇᴅ ᴀɴ ᴇᴍᴇʀɢᴇɴᴄʏ ᴄ-sᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ, placing Eris into a sandwich bag before rᴀᴄɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ʜᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ NICU ᴏɴ ᴀ ᴠᴇɴᴛɪʟᴀᴛᴏr. After her birth, Eris developed many ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍs, ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅɪɴɢ ᴀ sᴛᴀᴘʜ ɪɴFᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴄᴀᴜsᴇᴅ ʙʏ ʙᴀᴄᴛᴇʀɪᴀ, ᴘɴᴇᴜᴍᴏɴɪᴀ ᴀɴᴅ sᴇᴘsɪs.
At one point, the premature was also put on a life support ᴍᴀᴄʜɪɴᴇ (ECMO) ᴀFᴛᴇʀ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ ᴇxᴛʀᴇᴍᴇʟʏ ɪʟʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴜɴᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜᴇ alone. Her parents were told to say goodbye on more than one occasion. But now she can sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇ.
She said: “It’s amazing how much she does, a proper ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴡᴀʀʀɪᴏʀ. There were times when I was ᴛᴇʀʀɪFɪᴇᴅ that she wouldn’t make it this far, but she proves me wrong every day. She was so small when she was born, for two months, we couldn’t dress her in any clothes and had to get sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟɪᴢᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ clothing.”
“Now she’s over a year old and fitting into nine-to-12-month clothes. She sᴛɪʟʟ ʜᴀs ᴀ ᴛʀᴀᴄʜ and spends most of the day and night on a ᴠᴇɴᴛɪʟᴀᴛᴏʀ, but she’s stable and a happy little girl. But now her ʟᴜɴɢs ᴀʀᴇ ᴍᴀᴛᴜʀɪɴɢ and she is making progress with every passing day. We wouldn’t have her any other way, she’s our little miracle,” Lee added.
