A baby boy born more than four months prematurely, weighing just 555 grams, is now thriving after spending 99 days in hospital.
Baby Isaac was born at just 22 weeks and three days, around 15 weeks early. His mother, Vimbay, recalled the fear and uncertainty surrounding his exceptionally early arrival.
“It was one of the scariest moments in my life”, she said. “I think, to start off, just hearing that I’m 22 weeks, my cervix has started opening, a million things just ran through my head, and it’s been an emotional rollercoaster”.
Baby Isaac was born weighing just over half a kilogram and immediately began his fight for life. “He wanted to make an entrance”, Vimbay joked.
Since then, she has closely followed every small step in her son’s progress.
“He weighed just over 500 grams, and I’ve been celebrating every gram gained since”, she explained. “It’s a milestone that I never thought I would need to be celebrating. He hit 2 kgs today”.
Isaac has now grown to more than three and a half times his birth weight.
“Moments of hope”
Babies born at such an early stage of pregnancy require highly specialised neonatal care while their lungs and other organs continue to develop outside the womb. Reflecting on the months since Isaac’s birth, Vimbay described “moments of fear, moments of exhaustion, but moments of hope as well”, she said.
She paid tribute to the medical professionals who have cared for Isaac throughout his time in hospital.
“At the same time, we were placed in a hospital with an incredible medical team”, she said. “The nursing team, the neonatal staff team, they’ve been amazing, and I don’t think Isaac would have got to where he is now. He’s thriving”.
Isaac initially had to fight for every breath and was cared for by neonatal specialists before later progressing to a special care unit.
Now, after more than three months in hospital, his medical team has begun discussing the possibility of his going home. “And just before I came now, one of the doctors [was] wanting to talk to me about the D word: discharge”, Vimbay revealed. “You know, they’re starting to do the planning around it”.
“So yeah, it’s been a rollercoaster, and I think today is 99 days, so it’s 100 days tomorrow”, she added.
After being born at just 22 weeks and three days and weighing little more than half a kilogram, Isaac is now approaching the milestone his family has been hoping for: leaving the hospital and going home.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “Baby Isaac is a little fighter, and it is heartening to hear of his strong progress after spending the first 100 days of his life in the hospital. We wish him and his family continued success as doctors prepare to discharge him, allowing this family to be united at home together for the first time”.
