"From the moment she entered this world, she's just always wanted to live," Stensrud said of her daughter. "Now, she lives life."
Live Action News
In some places, babies born before 22 weeks gestation are unaided by medical personnel who believe these children have no chance of survival. Doctors will often refuse to resuscitate a child born so prematurely. Therefore, when Courtney Stensrud went into preterm labor after a medical emergency at just 21 weeks and four days gestation, there was little hope her baby girl would survive… except she did.
Now three years old, Stensrud’s daughter may be the youngest person to survive after being born so soon, and because of it, she has been featured in the journal Pediatrics. Amillia Taylor was born and survived at just 21 weeks, six days. Frieda Mangold is Europe’s youngest premature survivor.
Now three years old, Stensrud’s daughter may be the youngest person to survive after being born so soon, and because of it, she has been featured in the journal Pediatrics. Amillia Taylor was born and survived at just 21 weeks, six days. Frieda Mangold is Europe’s youngest premature survivor.
She was born at 21 weeks, five days. Stensrud told CNN that before giving birth, while she was in the hospital dealing with the premature rupture of membranes and an infection, she had researched online for any children who had survived after being born at 21 weeks. She couldn’t find a single one.
Dr. Kaashif Ahmad, a neonatologist at the hospital, told Stensrud that her baby would more than likely die and that he advised against resuscitation. She was told to simply hold her baby until the little girl stopped breathing. Stensrud, however, refused to believe that there wasn’t a chance for her tiny 15-ounce newborn.
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“There were stories of 22-weekers, 23-weekers, but nothing about 21-weekers,” she said. “So I knew that there was little to no survival or viability at 21 weeks.”
Dr. Kaashif Ahmad, a neonatologist at the hospital, told Stensrud that her baby would more than likely die and that he advised against resuscitation. She was told to simply hold her baby until the little girl stopped breathing. Stensrud, however, refused to believe that there wasn’t a chance for her tiny 15-ounce newborn.
“Although I was listening to him, I just felt something inside of me say, ‘Just have hope and have faith.’ It didn’t matter to me that she was 21 weeks and four days. I didn’t care,” she explained. “As he was talking to me, I just said, ‘Will you try?’ And he said he would, and three years later, we have our little miracle baby.”
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