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by Ian Stark |
The youngest baby ever to be born at Good Samaritan Hospital and be able to leave the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is now home with his parents.
Oscar Campos, born at just 23 weeks old, was joined by his mom and dad, Juan and Luciana on Friday at the hospital in West Islip
Oscar weighed just a bit over a pound when he was born.
“He was put right away in critical condition, in the NICU,” said his father, Juan. “We were hoping, praying, praying to God.”
Their prayers were answered in the form of the doctors and nurses at Good Sam.
The Campos family was joined by the McLeod family of Bay Shore, whose baby was born at 25 weeks, on Friday, Nov. 17, to help mark World Prematurity Day and tell their stories.
THEIR STORIES
Barbara McLeod of Bay Shore expected the birth of their fifth child to come early.
“But not that early,” Barbara explained Friday as she and husband Donovan showed introduced their daughter, Alijah.
Coping with kidney failure, Barbara was admitted to Good Samaritan on July 20 of this year, and seven days later Alijah arrived — born at 25 weeks and five days into the pregnancy.
“Honestly, they [the medical staff] wasn’t sure she was going to make it…but she proved to be a real fighter.”
Only 14 ounces at birth (“No bigger than your cell phone,” said Donovan), Alijah had to contend with poor blood flow from the placenta during the pregnancy, then faced surgeries and transfusions.
“She probably wasn’t going to make it,” Barbara was told, “that at her age she wasn’t viable…but once she lived past a few hours, then a few days, we started to feel good about her future.”
Two laser eye surgeries and a hernia repair procedure were part of Alijah’s path of survival.
“After a couple of weeks, they said she was growing, then they gave her high calorie milk…she got fat from there.” Barbara added with a laugh.
Alijah came home on her expected birth date of Oct. 12, almost full-term, and close to a weight of 7 pounds.
“She’s laughing, trying to turn over,” Barbara continued, and then turned to the subject of her care at Good Samaritan:
“They really took care of us here…everyone was making sure we were good. Everyone was always positive. The nurses here take every step of your time here with you.
“I’d tell anyone getting ready to have a baby to come here.”
As for Oscar Campos, he now weighs 8 pounds and 3 ounces.
Parents Juan and Luciana, as well as 9-year-old Joanna, all of Lindenhurst, stood with Oscar as mom cradled him in her arms.
Oscar was born prematurely, at 23 weeks, weighing just a bit over a pound.
“He was put right away in critical condition, in the NICU,” said Juan, “We were hoping, praying, praying to God.”
The journey for Oscar was frightening for the family.
“He had his ups and downs,” said Juan, “good days and bad…we went through a journey of 137 days in the hospital.”
THE TEAM
Prabhu Mehta, the hospital’s Director of Neonatology, points out the value of Good Samaritan for expectant mothers, noting it’s the only Level 3 Perinatal Center in Suffolk County, meaning it is equipped to provide especially complex NICU care.
“We deliver about 3000 babies a year here at Good Sam, and unfortunately about 500 are born prematurely, or at high-risk,” Dr. Metha said.
The NICU at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center is prepared to provide specialized intensive care services for infants born as early as 23 weeks and one pound at birth.
And neonatologists like Dr. Mehta are available at all hours and all days.
“We’re marking ‘World Prematurity Day’ to bring awareness,” Dr. Mehta said. “Babies born prematurely is something that happens around the world, and those interested in helping should do so — show support on social media, and of course, financially as well.”
Top photo: The Campos family of Lindenhurst (L-R), Juan, Joanna, 8, Luciana and Oscar on Friday at Good Samaritan Hospital on Friday in West Islip. (Credit: Ian Stark)
