Preemie Born at Just 23 Weeks Has Made a Miraculous Transformation
In a series of photos, Mary Parkinson — a new mom from Michigan — digitally documented the beautiful progression of her premature baby daughter, Grace. When Parkinson gave birth to Grace on New Years Eve at a shockingly early 23 weeks, her incredibly tiny infant weighed just one pound. Now, almost three months later, Grace is practically unrecognizable at five adorable pounds — and her transformation is nothing short of a miracle.
Parkinson shared her daughter’s amazing before-and-afters on Instagram, writing, “Happy three-month birthday to this little one! I can’t believe how much she has grown in such a short time! We are so lucky to be your parents!”
The majority of premature babies who are born before 24 weeks sadly do not survive, due to having underdeveloped lungs and other vital organs, according to the Premature Survival Foundation. Thanks to new medical advances, however, neonatal care is getting better, giving more premature babies a chance of survival. Even so, the risks involved are still extremely high.
Poor little Grace has suffered a perforated bowel, jaundice, several surgeries, and so many blood transfusions that Parkinson has “lost count.” But, despite all odds, the Parkinson’s baby girl is recovering and getting stronger each day. Now that Grace is no longer confined to an incubator or an IV, her loving mom is more than hopeful that she will make it through and be able to come home to her family in just a few weeks.
“Grace is off the vent and doing great!” Parkinson proudly updated her followers on Instagram. “It took almost 48 hours, but she did it!”
What a remarkable journey so far. We can’t imagine how hard it must be for the Parkinson family to see their sweet daughter go through so many surgeries. We’re rooting for you, Grace!
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