The doctors said we should let our son diе
Mikey Barone was born on July 5, 2017. But he left the hospital walls only 545 days later. All this time, the boy’s parents, Michael and Christina, fought for his life — including with the doctors.
“I was in my sixth month when they told me that my blood pressure was dangerously high, so I needed to have a caesarean — urgently, right now. Otherwise, my kidneys and liver could fail,” says Christina.
That’s how Mikey was born — 15 weeks ahead of schedule.
Mikey’s parents just couldn’t find a place for themselves. After all, this boy was their first child — 40-year-old Michael and 37-year-old Christina were treated for infertility for four and a half years, the woman survived a miscarriage and finally managed to conceive.
“I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw two lines on the test. I thought that now everything will be fine, but … ”Kristina recalls.
The newborn baby weighed only 737 grams, he could not breathe and eat on his own. Mikey’s lungs were so weak that the doctors advised him to be taken off the ventilator:
if he could survive in his mother’s arms, then he could. But, in essence, it meant just letting the baby die. Parents could not take such a step. And who could?
Christina spent every night in the hospital next to her son. In all 500+ days, she has never been home.
“I couldn’t be anywhere else than Mikey. He looked like a tiny baby doll, with a big head, tiny legs and arms. We prayed every day for a miracle, ”the Daily Mail quoted her as saying.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and weakness of the airways — with such diagnoses, Mikey was transferred from the hospital to a large medical center.
The family hoped to be discharged by Christmas, but the doctors said the child needed more surgeries. Therefore, the parents decorated the ward with festive garlands and celebrated the holiday right in the hospital.
And now, a year and a half after birth, the boy is finally ready to go home — despite the fact that he still cannot eat on his own, he is fed through a tube.
“My son, my hero, my strength, my love. He did it, he did it!» Christina was happy.
“I would like to see now those doctors who offered us to abandon our son. I’ll be happy to take him for a walk when it gets warmer. He finally learns that there is a whole world behind the hospital walls, which he has not yet had the opportunity to see, ”says Christina.
Now the boy’s parents are collecting donations to pay for hospital bills: a lot of them have accumulated during Mikey’s treatment. According to preliminary estimates, more than a million dollars will have to be paid.
But Christina and Michael do not lose heart: after all, they have many examples before their eyes when literally the whole world helped kids fighting for their lives.
What is preterm birth and what are the risks for the baby?
Approximately 10% of all pregnancies in the world end in preterm birth, that is, before the 37th week. When this happens, not all of the baby’s organs, including the heart and lungs, have time to develop normally.
Premature babies may also be small and underweight. This often means they are not ready for life outside the womb.
Preterm birth is the leading cause of infant mortality in the US and England. This is approximately 1500 deaths annually, and 17% of newborns subsequently die from complications. Premature babies usually try to leave in special neonatal intensive care centers.
