Miracle Baby Born At 22 Weeks Receives Heartwarming Farewell From Connecticut Hospital Where She Was The Most Premature Baby To Ever Survive
- Baby Zahraliz Francis Angueira was born weighing just 12.4 ounces in February
- After a four-month stay in the NICU at Saint Francis Hospital, she came home last week, three days after her original due date
A ‘miraculous’ baby born at 22 weeks was the most premature baby born and survived at Saint Francis Hospital in Connecticut.
Zahraliz Francis Angueira arrived at just 22 weeks pregnant and after a four-month stay left Hartford hospital with much fanfare on Thursday.
The baby girl weighed just 12.4 ounces when she was born in the early morning of February 22.
After careful attention from her mother and the hospital’s NICU staff, Zahraliz arrived home in Waterbury three days after her original due date, weighing seven pounds and five ounces.
Hospital staff created a special farewell for baby Zahraliz, complete with live piano music and balloons as they lined the hospital lobby to pop out mom and baby.
Zahraliz Francis Angueira weighed just 12.4 ounces when she was born, but left the hospital weighing seven pounds and five ounces
Hospital staff created a special farewell for baby Zahraliz complete with live piano music and balloons as they lined the hospital lobby to unfold mom and baby
Zahraliz’s mother, Neyshaliz Angueira, was hospitalized on February 18 with symptoms of preterm labor.
Anguiera was suffering from pneumonia when Zahraliz was born and both were at high risk of complications.
The new mom was willing to share her story to bring hope to other NICU families, the hospital said.
“I just want to share with everyone how caring the people I met at Saint Francis were,” she said told News 8.
“I am so grateful for the kindness and support that has been given to us.”
Angueira told NBC Connecticut that she has a special bond with her daughter now that she was also born prematurely.
“When she gets older, you know, this is a connection,” she said.
“This is a story we’ll both have and share.”
Dr. Jose Arias-Camison, MD, director of the NICU at Saint Francis Hospital, said of the farewell, “It was very emotional for everyone involved.”
‘I love the baby. You know, I like Zahraliz,’ he said.
“We try not to get emotional about our patients, but sometimes we do get emotional.
“It was a good day yesterday for our NICU,” he added.
Curtis Zy-Keith Means was the most premature baby to survive in the US.
Curtis was born on July 5, 2020 at just 21 weeks gestational age at the University of Alabama Birmingham Hospital in Alabama.