TYLER, Texas (KYTX) – A baby who was born weighing just 15 ounces went home after a six-month fight for her life.
“It was so scary, because the doctor was like, ‘I can’t hear the heartbeat. The baby’s not measuring what she’s supposed to measure,’” Labreshia Howard said.
It is a terrifying comment for any mother to hear, and Addisyn weighed just 15 ounces when she was born, making her the tiniest baby ever cared for at UT Health East Texas.
NICU Clinical Manager Bonnie Bearden said Addisyn was smaller than a can of Coke.
“This was her diaper when she was born, and it probably was actually too big for her when she was first born, because these only go to about a pound, and she was less than that,” she said.
The pregnancy was smooth until the 24-week checkup, just days after the gender reveal.
Doctors admitted Howard, hoping to keep Addisyn growing in the womb as long as possible.
“After the third day, they was like, ‘OK, we’re delivering.’ It was just really scary, a very scary experience,” Howard said.
Addisyn was in the NICU for six months.
“Who wants to leave their baby at the hospital and just go home?” Howard said.
Addisyn’s stay was the longest of any baby at UT Health East Texas. Nurses said she received around-the-clock, high-level care.
“She started out on a ventilator, and we had to feed her through a feeding tube. She had special IV lines that we gave her nutrients through. But as she grew, we just continued to change her feedings, give her different types of feedings to help her continue to grow,” Bearden said.
Despite her size and challenges with development, feeding and respiratory support, Addisyn proved to be a strong fighter.
“Seeing her everyday was one of those amazing things where you got to see her milestones, almost like your own child,” said Marcie Tunstall, director of nursing for women’s and children’s services.
Howard said any parent in a similar situation should “have patience, have faith.”
After a long journey, the hospital celebrated with a parade from the NICU all the way to the exit.
“I did not know that all the workers in the hospital, almost would be out in the hallway. It was so sweet,” Howard said.
It is a reminder that even the tiniest can have the biggest wins.
“Moms and dads that have babies in the NICU, you’re also world champions in this battle,” Bearden said.
Howard said her daughter is a “little fighter.”