After spending over a year in hospital, a premature baby born three and a half months early has finally gone home.
Baby Landon was born after his mother Mikayla’s waters unexpectedly broke at just 16 weeks gestation.
As it was so early in her pregnancy, Mikayla was not sure that this was what had actually happened until doctors confirmed it during a scan at 23 weeks.
After almost two months in hospital, Mikayla gave birth to Landon, her first child. He weighed just 2lb 12oz and was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension and bronchopulmonary dysplasia due to his underdeveloped lungs. Landon also had to undergo a tracheostomy, where a tube was surgically inserted into his windpipe, to assist his breathing.
“Afterwards it was a little scary because they had to keep them paralysed for a week to a week and a half so that what they created doesn’t get damaged”, his mother said. “That was really scary because they’re on paralysis drugs and seeing your kid like that is very scary”.
Baby Landon had to spend over a year in hospital
Baby Landon spent his first Christmas and birthday in hospital. His mum, Mikayla, said “It was very difficult, it was really hard knowing that this is a first for my kid, most kids are interactive with everything and they want to [see] fireworks and seeing [them] for the first time. Landon didn’t get to experience that because he was in the hospital”.
However, after all their struggles, 18 days after his first birthday, Mikayla and her fiancé Dez were finally able to take Landon home.
“It’s just amazing how much of a miracle he is because in the beginning, the doctors were talking about when he was born he probably wouldn’t survive after birth”, said Mikayla.
“I remember seeing my son for the first time, and it was a magical moment”, his mother said. “There’s nothing else in the world, you don’t see a child [who’s] premature, you don’t see he was intubated, you didn’t see any of that”.
“You see a perfect angel [who’s] yours now, you are the sole protector and you will do whatever it takes to make sure that they are okay”.
Baby Landon was able to spend his second Christmas at home with his family.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “What an amazing journey for baby Landon and his parents, from his mother’s waters breaking at just 16 weeks to finally being able to go home after over a year in hospital. Medical advancements are giving more and more children born prematurely the chance of life when even a few decades ago this would have been much more unlikely”.
