A premature baby, born weighing just 1.5 pounds and so small that his feet were the size of his mother’s fingertip, is now 2 and thriving.
Karianne Pratt, 31, from Shepshed, Leicestershire, UK, and her husband, Callum Pratt, 32, were already parents to their daughter, Lily, when they learned they were pregnant with their second child, Tommy, in September 2020.
The first few weeks of pregnancy went by “without a hitch,” but then at 19 weeks gestation, Ms. Pratt began to bleed heavily.
“I was working from home, and I went to the toilet, and there was loads of blood,” Ms. Pratt said. “I assumed the worst and rushed to hospital, but the doctors assured me he was fine.”
The experience frightened Ms. Pratt, and after that, every time she bled, she worried she was going to lose Tommy. For the next five weeks, her medical team kept a close eye on her.
“When I started having contractions at 24 weeks, I went into complete shock,” Ms. Pratt, a beauty business owner, said. “I never actually thought he'd come so early, but after just 25 minutes of pushing, he was here.”
Tommy was born breech in his amniotic sack on Jan. 7, 2021, at 11:58 p.m. at Leicester Royal Hospital.
“I couldn’t believe how tiny he was,” Ms. Pratt said. “It was really scary, but I never once doubted that he would pull through.”
The worst was that Ms. Pratt wasn’t able to cuddle her newborn immediately, as he had to be quickly placed into an incubator.
“He didn’t cry at first, which actually led to complications as one of the ducts on his heart didn’t snap like it should when a baby cries,” she said.
Seeing his tiny body being connected to so many tubes and machines was heartbreaking.
Five days after Tommy’s birth, his mother finally held him, and his father snapped a picture, showing Tommy’s tiny foot, the same size as the end of Ms. Pratts’s index finger.
Tommy spent the next 102 days in the hospital fighting for his life.
During this challenging time, Tommy developed a large hernia, which was removed through surgery.
He was also diagnosed with “retinopathy of prematurity”—an eye disease that can occur in premature babies when abnormal blood vessels develop in the retina.
Tommy had weekly eye tests to check the development of the blood vessels, but, luckily, he didn’t require treatment as the condition cleared up by itself.
Additionally, he was diagnosed with chronic lung disease, though his condition is mild and doesn’t noticeably hold him back.
After being discharged from the hospital in April 2021, Tommy has gone from strength to strength. He attends Forest School—a type of outdoor nursery—which he loves.
Ms. Pratt admitted that it was daunting at first when Tommy came home as he was still on oxygen. It was also the first time he was able to meet his sister, Lily, because she hadn’t been able to visit him in the hospital due to Covid restrictions.
“Lily had to stay with her grandparents while we were with Tommy in hospital, and it was amazing to finally all be together again,” Ms. Pratt said.
Looking back at how far Tommy has come, his parents share that he inspires them every day.
“He’s so funny, cheeky, and talkative now,” Ms. Pratt said. “Thankfully, he’s meeting all his milestones and isn’t showing any signs of [developmental] delays.”
Additionally, his chronic disease is something that his family will monitor as Tommy gets older, but it doesn’t affect his day-to-day life.
“He’s just a typical little boy and we’re so proud of him!” Ms. Pratt said.
