A tiny baby born at just 23 weeks and 5 days made it home just one week before Christmas after spending nine months in hospital.
Maddie Statler, mother to baby Evangeline, was experiencing what she considered to be an uneventful pregnancy when she woke up with back pain at 23 weeks gestation.
“I noticed that my stomach felt kind of tight and different and then I started having contractions later that day”, she said. “I was in denial though that I could be in labour because I was like, ‘I’m 23 weeks. There’s no way that I’m in labour right now.’ And then I had some bleeding later that evening and then that’s kind of what prompted us to go to the hospital”.
Maddie said that her sister, an obstetric nurse, had realised something was wrong after she had spent five days in hospital. “She noticed right away that Evangeline’s heart rate was skyrocketing all of a sudden, and she ran out the door and everything happened really fast after that”.
“Next thing I know, the doctor and all these nurses and the anesthesiologist was coming in the room, and they were also trying to hook me up to get a blood transfusion and get me back to [the operating room] because I was haemorrhaging from what they later found out was a placental abruption”.
Evie was born via emergency caesarean section at 23 weeks and 5 days and weighed only 14 ounces.
Overcoming the odds: less than 50% chance of survival
Her father, Dylan, said the doctors had said that Evie had “less than [a] 50% chance of survival”.
But little Evie’s parents remained hopeful as their little girl cried when she was born. “Whenever we heard that she made a cry, that made us feel like you know, she definitely had some fight in her, and that was reassuring”, said Maddie.
Evie was treated in a newborn intensive care unit (NICU) for pulmonary hypertension, which is high blood pressure in the lungs. Her parents went back and forth to the hospital while also caring for their older son at home.
“Each day was kind of like a victory that we got through – like, if we got through another day there at the beginning, we counted that as a win. That’s all we could really do, is take one day at a time, because everything was so kind of scary and new” Evie’s father said.
However her parents did not give up hope.
“The whole time, I just believed that’s not my baby—that’s statistics”, Dylan said. “Which was maybe a coping mechanism because how could you hear all these things and not be like, ‘Oh my goodness,’ you know? And some days, it really did feel that way—like, well, maybe she isn’t gonna make it. But I really did believe it from day one, that that’s all fine and good, but that’s not our baby”.
A medical team effort ensures “miracle baby” Evie makes it home for Christmas
Evie received support from a NICU team at St Louis Children’s Hospital as well as neonatologist Dr Melissa Riley.
“When Evie got here, as sick as she was, honestly, I think our team was a little hesitant to promise success We anticipated a very long stay”, Dr Riley said.
“So when she arrived here, as sick as she was … at that time, if you would have said, ‘Dr. Riley, is Evie going to be home by Christmas?’ I would have said, ‘I’m not betting on that one’.”.
However, Evie managed to survive despite the odds and has been able to go home just one week before Christmas.
“It’s kind of symbolic”, Dylan said. “Because she’s kind of like a gift or a miracle baby”.
Her father, a painter, was inspired to create a series of paintings, including one titled ‘Waiting on Her Arrival’, which is now on display at a local gallery.”It just symbolises the hope that she will come home one day and kind of a universal thing for anybody anticipating a loved one or someone special coming home”, he said.
Her parents expressed their gratitude for the support they have received from family, friends and Evie’s healthcare team. “They really have been like a light in our dark days. And they’ve laughed with us and cried with us, and just really been there [every] step of the way”, Maddie said.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “Congratulations to Evie and her family for their success in fighting so hard for Evie’s life. It is a testament to medical teams across the world that they are able to help tiny sick premmies like Evie so that they can celebrate Christmas at home with their families”.
