Micro-preemie born at 22 weeks survives after parents transfer hospitals

A baby girl born July 15, four months before her due date, is said to be doing well though her twin sister did not survive. The sisters were born at just 22 weeks and two days and were given only a 10 percent chance of survival.

Lura Lauer and her fiancé Ricky Garcia were shocked to be expecting twins, and the pregnancy was a rough one. Lauer had morning sickness every day for the first trimester and much of the second. She began feeling contractions at about 20 weeks. Doctors believed they were Braxton Hicks contractions (false labor) but after a yoga class, the contractions worsened and the couple went to the hospital. By then, Lauer was already three centimeters dilated.

“They gave me medicine to stop the contractions, but then the neonatal doctor came to talk to us,” she told The Sun. “He told us the hospital we were at do not resuscitate if you give birth to a baby at less than 24 weeks. He said if I was to give birth that day, I would have to say goodbye because they’re not viable at that age. They said they didn’t have the capability to care for babies that young. It felt like a nightmare.”

The couple decided to transfer to the Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, which was better equipped to handle micro-preemies.

Lyric was born first, followed by Cali three minutes later. They were both crying and breathing and were rushed to neonatal intensive care. Cali weighed one pound, one ounce, and Lyric weighed one pound, two ounces.

READ: ‘Miracle’ micro-preemie born at 22 weeks discharged from the hospital

“Everything felt so surreal at this point, I couldn’t believe that I had already given birth and my girls were in the world,” said Lauer. “The girls were placed in the NICI [neonatal intensive care unit] together and we were able to go see them. We knew they were in a critical condition, being so small and young, but we didn’t expect anything to go wrong yet.”

Two days later, Cali suffered severe brain hemorrhaging and began to decline. She died shortly after. Lyric has undergone surgery for a perforated intestine and suffered from a pneumothorax — an air pocket in the lungs. So far, she has conquered the obstacles she has faced.

“The doctor’s exact words were, ‘She is amazing us every day’, she is truly a miracle,” said Lauer.

Lauer said it is “ridiculous” that many hospitals don’t care for babies born before 24 weeks because they don’t see them as viable. In fact, babies born as young as 21 weeks are capable of surviving. Thankfully, the number of hospitals willing to care for these micro-preemies and give them a chance is growing.

“I think Lyric is an example that — even when doctors are unsure — hope, faith, determination, and love are such powerful energies,” said Lauer. “I believe that’s what’s keeping our daughter alive.”

Mothers from around the world have been reaching out to Lauer through social media to share their own stories of giving birth to micro-preemies. Now Lauer feels that sharing Lyric’s story will help other families going through similar situations.

“I know there are so many women going through the same thing and it breaks my heart for them, because it feels unbearable at times and it physically hurts my heart, it feels so broken,” explained Lauer. “But I have faith, I believe in a grander purpose beyond my pain. […] my purpose is to show how miracles can happen, because Lyric is a miracle and she is meant to provide hope and love during such a difficult time. She is a beacon of hope in hopeless times.”

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