Born at 22 weeks, baby Russell Appold Jr. was not expected to survive when he was born weighing just 1lb at Tulane Lakeside Hospital in Louisiana.
His mother Natasha, now a mother of three, looked on with great concern after three miscarriages as her child’s life hung in the balance in a neonatal intensive care unit.
“My fiancé and I both cried and we started praying”, she recalled.
During her pregnancy, problems began to emerge at 15 weeks when she had to have an emergency operation after her cervix opened up.
After Russell was born, he had to be provided with a breathing tube. He also suffered from jaundice and blood on his brain.
His mother expressed her profound gratitude to the doctors and God for his survival: “If it wasn’t for them… I don’t think he would be here.”
Russell now weighs 8lbs and has been taken to his new home after a big send-off from hospital staff.
SPUC comment
SPUC said: “Baby Russell’s miraculous survival is a testament to the skills of the staff at Tulane Lakeside Hospital. Such stories as these remind us of the true worth of life and that every baby is to be fought for, whatever the circumstance.”
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