Baby Douglas finally comes home!

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — Douglas Epling had a long journey home after he was released from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio this past Wednesday.

Born at just 25 weeks, Douglas spent his life first at Cabell Huntington Hospital then was transported to Columbus to see a team of specialists.

His parents, Matthew and Brenda Epling, said that they have been overwhelmed by the support they have been given.

“Douglas has been in the Nationwide Children Hospital in Columbus, Ohio since he was born, for the most part, five hundred and sixty to eighty days.” said Matthew.

“When he was born, within not even a month’s time he developed pneumonia, so of course we had to battle that with multiple drugs. We supposed to have fentanyl, had to get him off of that with morphine, so we had lots of struggles there,” said Brenda. “When he went from Cabell-Huntington and they transported him to Columbus at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, we learned that he had fractured his right rib, he had a fractured humerus, just from birth. So, he had a couple challenges there.”

“He got a trachea, and we have been going and visiting him every week since he was born, and he just got released on Wednesday,” said Matthew. “Then when we came back to the community, here in Beckley and Raleigh County, it’s been amazing.”

“Dougie has a really big family now, and he’ll always have a really big family.” said Brenda.

Douglas and his family are thankful for the support they have been given and credit the staff at both hospitals for helping them and their son through his journey.

Douglas still has a few challenges to face, but his parents say that his lungs are developing well, and he will hopefully have his trachea apparatus removed between the ages of three to five.

Both parents say that Doulgas is the happiest baby and always has a smile on his face.

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