Former ‘Top Model’ Leah Darrow was told her preemie wouldn’t survive. 29 days later he’s still fighting.

Following his premature birth by emergency C-section at just 22 weeks, the infant son of pro-life speaker, author, and former contestant on “America’s Top Model” Leah Darrow has been transferred to a higher-level hospital in St. Louis, where he underwent surgery on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Darrow posted on Facebook, “Tomorrow morning Sly will be having a surgery that the team did not want to do, but, the doctor said, ‘we have run out of options.’

“We will have a Broviac line put in so that he can get a desperately needed blood transfusion, as well as nutrition. This has become necessary because his original PIC line had moved in a way that impeded its function, and it was not able to be fixed despite multiple attempts.

“It is the only option left for us to keep Sly alive.”

Then, Thursday afternoon, Darrow updated her social media followers with happy news. “Praise be to God ❤️ Thank you ALL for your prayers, messages, kindness, thoughts and love,” she wrote on Instagram. “The surgeon wasn’t able to gain access on Sly’s right leg, so they tried for the left – and it worked! Sly is now sleeping and recovering. We had our Priest with us who blessed and prayed over Sly beforehand.” She added, “I am dumbfounded at how many miracles and graces God is showering down on my family. In the midst of so much suffering, I’ve never been more at peace. I’ve left the hospital and am back with my other 6 kiddos snuggling with them and getting ready to take a long afternoon nap.” She thanked her followers for their prayers.

Sly was born when a blood pathogen led to sepsis and shock for both him and Darrow. Doctors had to act quickly to save both of their lives and an emergency C-section was carried out to end the pregnancy and treat them both. Mother and son were both fighting for their lives. Darrow is recovering, but Sly continues to fight.

“The Docs told us, before the c-section, that he would NOT make it,” Darrow explained on Instagram. “They informed us that he would more than likely be deaf, blind, have genetic defects, AND the scans showed Sly had bleeding on the brain and fluid in the abdomen. They asked if I wanted to employ ‘life saving measures’ for Sly or let him pass without any interventions.”

“We chose to ‘intervene,'” she said.

She continued, “Sly was born at 22 weeks. 1 lb and 2 oz. No brain bleed found. No fluid in the stomach. Sly has defied the odds so far and is proof that if God will[s] it, it will be done.”

While Sly does have challenges to overcome, Darrow said he “continues to FIGHT.”

Darrow and her husband had previously lost two daughters to miscarriage in 2022 and 2023, so they and their children faced the pregnancy with Sly with “a lot of trepidation.” They were all “scared to lose another baby.”

But, when she announced her pregnancy to her children, she told them, “I told my 6 kids that I don’t know what’s going to happen – but – we have Sly today… and we can only be grateful and happy for what’s been given to us this day.”

Editor’s Note, 5/30/24: This post has been updated with Darrow’s most recent social media post on the results of Sly’s surgery.

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