When Naomi Joy was born on July 1, doctors were quite certain she had no chance of survival. She was born 15 weeks premature, at just 25 weeks gestation. Naomi weighed only 13 ounces and could fit in the palm of your hand. She was so young that her eyes were still fused shut.
“She’s one of the littlest babies around,” her mother Angela Bakker told NBC 4. “They told us there was no hope for her. The first time I held her was so scary. So frightening. She was so tiny.”
Doctors said that if Naomi did survive, she would have health complications, and may even be born blind.
“For us, God. We got on our knees, and we begged. And we said we would take her however He gave it,” Bakker said. “If she was blind, or whatever, we just wanted our baby.”
Baby Naomi in the NICU. Photo via Facebook.
But Naomi has been proving the doctors wrong. After nearly five months, Naomi has made tremendous progress, including breathing without a ventilator, passing her hearing test, and gaining weight. Her parents are calling her a miracle. She recently had surgery to place a feeding tube, and is fed on a regular schedule throughout the day and night. Naomi is doing so well that she left the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit last week and is at home with her family.
Her father Michael Bakker wrote on Facebook:
Angela and I were handed the baton. We’ve bobbled it a little in the transition I’m sure, but with each passing day we are holding on tighter and learning how to run this next phase of our lives with Naomi here at home. […] life is starting to settle down now as we get into a routine with Naomi, her medications, feedings, and close friend oxygen. […] Needless to say, Naomi’s transition home has been fairly stable so far.
Naomi at home with her family. Photo via Facebook.
While her vision is still being watched, it continues to improve, and Naomi now weighs over six pounds. Her big brother, who hadn’t been able to visit her in the NICU, is very excited to have his baby sister home at last.
