The premature baby who was born 15 weeks early weighing less than 1 pound and was kept safe and warm in a bubble wrap is now about to turn 2 years old.
Baby Larenz Carr, who was born at 25 weeks on Oct. 28, 2019, at St. Michael’s Hospital, Bristol, England, weighed just 13 ounces (0.37 kg)
Doctors popped him in a sandwich bag to mimic the warm condition of his mother’s womb in an attempt to regulate his fragile body’s temperature. They then kept him in an incubator, where he was put in a bubble wrap to keep warm.
The little boy spent five months in the neonatal intensive care unit at Southmead hospital in Bristol, before he was big and strong enough to head home with his parents, Vickie Carr, 29, and Rohan Carr, 32.
Larenz is one of the tiniest babies to be born and survive and doctors were amazed that he had such a strong heartbeat when he was born.
He was so small, his skin was see-through, and you could see his organs when he was born. But the brave Larenz defied all the odds to come home, and is now thriving.
The best part is, Larenz has no developmental delays—much to the surprise and delight of doctors and his proud parents.
Mom-of-one Vickie, who works as a driving instructor, said: “Larenz looked quite scary when I first laid eyes on him.
“He was so tiny. He was like a little alien with his skin all shiny and see-through.
“It’s incredible that medics saved his life by popping him in a sandwich bag and bubble wrap to keep him safe and warm.
“It’s just amazing that nothing was wrong with him, and he’s come home healthy and thriving.
“He’s walking and not delayed at all—it’s amazing.”
Vickie’s pregnancy was smooth-sailing until doctors noticed that her baby wasn’t growing at a routine 20-week scan in September 2019.
They kept an eye on the first-time mom. But when she returned with a headache at 21 weeks, they told her they would have to keep her in and that her baby may need to be born early.
“They told me they wanted to keep my baby in my tummy for as long as possible,” Vickie said.
“It was terrifying, I had no idea if my little baby boy would make it.”
Vickie managed to hold on until 25 weeks and four days when doctors saw that her placenta was failing and rushed her for an emergency C-section.
Her husband, Rohan, was there when the couple welcomed their little preemie into the world.
“I didn’t see him before he was whisked away, but Rohan got a glimpse and saw how tiny he was,” Vickie said.
“When I went down to the neonatal intensive care unit a few hours later, I was so shocked at how small he was. He was the same size as my hand and so transparent. He looked all shiny, like he was covered in oil.”
Miraculously, Larenz responded well and just had to stay in the hospital while he grew stronger and could breathe independently.
He came home in March 2020, weighing 5 pounds (2.2 kg) and without any oxygen support.
“He’s just amazing,” Vickie said. "He’s now 20lb and walking. He’s so determined. He’s just a normal baby that you would have never known was premature.
“He’s such a fighter.”
Rohan said: “When I first saw Lorenz I was so scared and worried about what the outcome would be. I'd never seen a baby so small. We were just so happy he was alive and to see how he thrives now is amazing.
“He’s our little miracle.”
