18-Month-Old Micro Preemie Discharged Home Ahead of Thanksgiving

A Preemie's Journey Home

• 👶 Leah, an 18-month-old micro preemie, is finally going home after spending her entire life in the neonatal intensive care unit.
• 🎯 Born 16 weeks early, she weighed just over one pound and faced significant medical challenges.

Overcoming Medical Hurdles

• 🏥 Leah was treated for a heart defect, brain bleed, and lung disease during her stay at Blythedale Children's Hospital.
• 🛠️ She underwent extensive therapy, including physical, occupational, and feeding therapy, while being weaned off a breathing tube.
• 💡 Her parents emphasized the importance of remembering that premature babies' entire bodies need to grow and develop.

A Strong and Emerging Personality

• ✨ Despite her medical challenges, Leah has shown a love for dancing and having her hair done, with her personality emerging.
• 💪 Her parents describe her as incredibly strong and resilient, having fought to be here.

Emotional Homecoming

• 💖 Leah's parents, who live in Queens, never missed a day at the hospital, making her discharge an emotional event.
• 🚀 After a year and a half of hospital stays and facing scary medical news, the family is looking forward to life at home.
• ✅ Leah is going home weighing 24 pounds, a major milestone after being born at just 24 weeks gestation.
• 🌟 She will continue with outpatient therapy, but her homecoming is a testament to her strength and a cause for immense gratitude this Thanksgiving.