Preemie born weighing a pound goes home after nearly 5 months in NICU

A premature baby born at 26 weeks gestation is going home, strong and healthy, after spending 146 days (nearly five months) in the NICU.

Key Takeaways:

• LaTashia Morris and David Taylor are celebrating the homecoming of their daughter, Trinity.

• Trinity Alexandria Rose Taylor was born in April at 26 weeks gestation, weighing just over one pound.

• She now is going home weighing 11 pounds with no health issues.

• Her send-off was celebrated with staff from multiple hospital departments.

The Details:

Morris and Taylor brought baby Trinity home on September 17, 2025, after spending nearly five months in the NICU. Born at 26 weeks gestation and weighing just 1 pound, 14 ounces, Trinity was a micro-preemie so fragile that doctors chose to deliver her en caul — still in the amniotic sac.

"That's a technique I use; sometimes very small babies get traumatized as they come out so it's best if you keep the bag intact," said Mercy Hospital OB-GYN Jahanshah Seraji.

In the first two weeks after birth, every moment was critical.

"She had some lung problems, she had some eye problems, and she had some heart problems," said Mercy Hospital Neonatology Director Swarna Devarajan.

But through it all, doctors encouraged Morris and Taylor to hold on to hope.

"I was scared. I was scared but happy, especially with how she came out," Taylor said.

Morris added, "But the nurses and the doctors were on me like, 'nope, we're not going down to that dark place, like she's going to be OK, we got you, we got her.' And they really did."

Now, according to a Mercy Hospital press release, Trinity is going home weighing 11 pounds, 8.5 ounces.

During Trinity's time in the NICU, "Hakuna Matata" was a favorite song of the family's, becoming an anthem for both staff and Trinity herself. When she was finally able to leave the NICU, staff from multiple departments were there for the emotional farewell, where Trinity's song was played.

“Trinity has already made her mark here at Mercy — she holds the record for the longest NICU stay of my career,” Devarajan said. “I’ve been a NICU physician for nearly 30 years, and days like this never get old. Her transformation is a powerful reflection of what advanced NICU care can achieve, and even more, a testament to the strength and spirit of one incredible little girl.”

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Zoom Out:

Medical advances have made it possible for premature babies to survive at younger and younger ages.

A large part of why survival is becoming more common is that doctors are more likely to provide active care, as opposed to just palliative care. New research conducted between 2014 and 2023 found that active treatment is being offered more frequently, increasing from 28.8% to 78.6% for babies born at 22 weeks. Accordingly, survival rates also increased at 22 weeks, from 25.7% to 41%. Similar outcomes were observed for babies born at 23 weeks, where active treatment increased from 87.4% to 94.7%, and survival rates rose from 53.8% to 57.9%.

Overall survival rates for babies born at 22 weeks rose from 7.4% to 32%, regardless of whether or not they were given active treatment. And even for those born at 23 weeks who did not receive active treatment, survival rates still rose, from 46.9% to 54.7%.

Even babies as young as 21 weeks have been able to survive extreme prematurity. Yet numerous states allow abortion to be committed on these babies, some through 24 weeks and others, through all nine months of pregnancy.

The Bottom Line:

Babies like Trinity deserve the chance to live, whether that means receiving active care after premature birth or simply choosing not to deprive them of their inherent right to life.