NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens announced that a baby born at only 22 weeks has officially been discharged after spending a long and stressful five months in the NICU. The hospital staff held a ceremonial “graduation” on Oct. 14 with the girl’s family to celebrate the success of her treatment and miraculous recovery.
The baby’s parents, Winston and Balinda, decided to name her Myracle.
Chief of Newborn Services Dr. Alice Gardner, who oversaw Myracle’s care, said that 22 weeks is at the very “edge of viability,” and according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, only 24% of babies born at that time survive. Just another week inside the womb would have doubled those chances, but despite the statistics, Myracle beat the odds.
Babies born before 26 weeks and less than 28 ounces are considered “micropreemies.” Myracle was born weighing a little over a pound and spent the next several months in an incubator with a treatment plan that was based on a similar case at the same hospital just a few years ago, which had drawn the family to the hospital for their daughter.
“We’re grateful to Dr. Garner, Dr. Gleason, the whole NICU team, and especially to Myracle’s grandmother. She read about another baby’s journey here, which led us to choose Queens Hospital. Everyone played a part in caring for our Myracle,” said her mother.
The first newborn, Jayden Washeeh Shah, was also born at just 22 weeks back in 2021, and was the most premature born baby the medical staff had encountered. Since then, Queens Hospital has continued to build up its obstetrics department and helps deliver around 1,200 babies every year. On top of the expert medical care, the team prides themselves on their “holistic approach,” and offer new mothers services such as breastfeeding support, immediate skin-to-skin contact and 24 hour rooming-in to be close with their newborns.
“Providing a nurturing environment where technological expertise meets empathetic support defines our care ethos,” reflected Dr. Paul Gleason, who helped deliver Myracle and aided in her care while she was in the NICU.
Myracle’s family received a certificate commemorating the day, and they reciprocated with a framed letter thanking the staff and gifts for both Dr. Gleason and Dr. Gardner, who they plan to remain in contact with in the future.
“The empathy and teamwork within our NICU enable extraordinary outcomes like Myracle’s,” said Sherley Gebara, Associate Executive Director of Nursing for Maternal Child Services.
