Little Lives, Big Futures

Nov 19, 2023 Features / Columnists, News, Waterfalls Magazine

Waterfalls Magazine – Pregnancy is a wonderful thing, it’s a gift of life and to be able to bring a person into the world is an honour. It is every woman’s dream to reach the full gestation period and to have a healthy safe delivery.

However, like everything in life, what can go wrong will go wrong, and some women aren’t able to meet the full 36-40 weeks gestation, for various reasons. Complications may arise and it can be physical or health wise. This can trigger early labour and cause premature birth. These babies are referred to as ‘preemies’ and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) is the place that helps these little lives become big futures.

On Friday, the hospital celebrated World Premature Day and as such, the medical institution hosted various activities to celebrate the lives of those parents who leave the hospital impacted as well as the babies the institution saved.

Emotions were running high since for the parents, the GPHC was the place where they would have once faced one of the most difficult times of their lives. No parent wants to watch their newborn struggle to breathe or barely cling to life. Sadly, this was a reality for a number of parents across the country and their success stories would ring a few tears out of a stone.

Baby Genesis

Genesis Azore entered the world at 29 weeks and 4 days and weighed a mere 2 pounds 3 ounces. Her arrival was the highlight of her parents’ lives, since her mother Shunza Azore had dire concerns, having previously suffered a miscarriage. The pregnancy was a bittersweet moment and there may have been some moments of paranoia for Azore.

Even though the baby was due on October 4th, the little one couldn’t wait and entered the world early on July 9th. Born via natural birth, the tiny warrior spent 15 days in the NICU and 14 days in the step-down unit. She suffered an intestinal infection in the latter but a fast response from the NICU staff helped her to overcome that barrier.

Throughout the entire time, the little one was continuously visited by her parents and grandmother. Faith moves mountains and there’s nothing like a parent’s love. Now at almost 4 months old, little Genesis is exceeding all expectations, being five times the size of an average premature baby and developing as she should, physically and mentally. She coos, rolls over and holds her head up on her own. She is perfectly healthy and supported by preemie baby formula.

Her family has expressed immense thanks to the GPHC’s  NICU staff for being a pillar of strength in a dire time of need and helping their bundle of joy along her tumultuous journey.

The twin bond

Twin girls Sura and Kris-Ann Persaud came into the world via an emergency caesarean operation (C-Section) at just 32 weeks on June 8, 2023 at 15:52hrs and 15:45hrs, weighing 1.9kg and 1.3kg respectively. For their mother, who was a healthcare worker attached to the Paediatric Department at GPHC, being a first-time mom with twins and a family history of eclampsia, she was deemed high risk.

The transition from healthcare worker to NICU mom wasn’t an easy one but she had the unwavering support of the twins’ father as well as her extended and work family. Hernia and anaemia were additional challenges and one twin had to be operated on at four months old. Fast forward a few months, both twins are perfectly healthy and their development is normal.

The miracle baby

This little bundle of joy did not make his presence known until 16 weeks. His mother was unaware that she was pregnant until the four-month mark. Even though she was given a due date of October last year, at 32 weeks, she began feeling unwell. Little Kalel chose to make his debut on earth early, in a surprise arrival on August 19, 2022, weighing 3.8 lbs.

He was admitted immediately to the NICU as a premature baby and spent 3 weeks there under the dedicated care of a resilient team. Fast forward to 15 months later, the little boy is thriving and has a unique ability to listen keenly to the sound of animals. He’s very active and adores the outdoors, especially football. Developmentally, he is hitting all the milestones and he is doing just fine.

‘My sister did it so can I’

Jaylah Garraway was born on November 13, 2018. At just 35 weeks, she was premature due to her mother suffering high blood pressure from preeclampsia. Suffering from congenital pneumonia and sepsis, she survived and now at 5-years- old, she is one of the tallest and smartest children in the classroom.

A few years after her birth, her brother Kyrie Garraway entered the world prematurely at 33 weeks on June 25, 2021, via an emergency C-Section due to his mother suffering similar complications as with his sister. He spent five nerve-wrecking weeks in the NICU and also suffered sepsis. Mirroring his sister’s warrior-like characteristics and determined to live, the now 2-year-old is healthy and developing as he should.

Every year, the NICU departments at hospitals around the world, sees hundreds if not thousands of preemie babies who enter the world early but are determined to live. It is the round the clock resilience of the staff and their parents never ending love that sees them through. They are little lives, with big futures.

• Big Futures, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Little Lives, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), World Premature Day