NEED TO KNOW

  • One micropreemie defied all odds at birth, becoming the smallest surviving baby born at a California hospital

  • Noel Creamer’s daughter Meadow weighed less than 1 lb. when she was born at John Muir Health Walnut Creek Medical Center

  • The newborn arrived so early that the outer layer of her skin didn’t fully develop, and her eyes were fused closed at birth

One micropreemie defied all odds at birth, becoming the smallest surviving baby born at a California hospital.

Noel Creamer’s daughter Meadow weighed less than 1 lb. when she was born at John Muir Health Walnut Creek Medical Center in Walnut Creek, Calif. The newborn arrived so early that the outer layer of her skin didn’t fully develop, and her eyes were fused closed at birth. The loving mom told NBC Bay Area that looking at her little one was “almost like seeing a kitten.”

“It was almost like seeing a kitten, because kittens are born with their eyes closed,” Creamer said. “So, I kind of call her my little kitten.”

Creamer told the outlet that her baby girl was born premature due to a condition that prevented her from getting the nutrients she needed while in the womb. Since her daughter Meadow was so tiny, many doctors at various medical facilities believed she had no chance at survival.

“Even though she was so small, I felt her kick and move, and I just knew I knew she didn’t make it this far along for it just to be over,” Creamer said.

Despite the odds, Creamer believed in her daughter. She leaned on the doctors at John Muir Health, who said that they had the technology and expertise to give her daughter a fighting chance. After 167 days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), Creamer was given the green light to bring her daughter home.

“Even saying a miracle seems downplayed, she’s more than a miracle and I don’t really know the word for it yet, but it’s kind of like magic,” Creamer said. “She’s just a magic baby.”

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On baby Meadow’s final day in the NICU, the hospital staff who cared for her lined up to celebrate her growth and say goodbye to their tiniest patient ever.

Looking ahead, Creamer already has big plans for her daughter. She told the outlet that one of the first things she plans to do is get her daughter outside to experience the fresh air.

Creamer said, “I plan on taking her camping, that’s one of the first things we’ll do.”

Read the original article on People