Mobile Baby Born Under 1 Pound Turns One

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Meet Herron Abney III, affectionately known as "Tripp," a baby who has been defying the odds since his very first breath.

Born at just 21 weeks and weighing less than one pound, Tripp's journey has been nothing short of extraordinary.

So, when he marked his first birthday, it was a celebration of life and resilience, complete with a Superman outfit to symbolize his incredible strength.

Trashinda Gavin holding her son TrippPhoto byHerron Abney

A Challenging Start

Trashinda was only five months pregnant when she went into preterm labor.

After being hospitalized for several days at USA Health Children's and Women's Hospital in Mobile, Alabama, doctors and Trashinda worked tirelessly to delay labor.

However, on July 12, 2023, just 21 weeks and three days into her pregnancy, Trashinda gave birth to Tripp, who weighed a mere 15.3 ounces.

"I remember his arms and legs moving and asking, 'Is he OK?' and [my husband] saying that he was OK," Trashinda recalled.

"I told them I wanted them to do anything they could to save the baby."

Defying the Odds

Babies born before 22 weeks face significant challenges as their vital organs, including the heart, lungs, and intestines, are not fully developed.

Dr. Maran Ramani, chief of the Division of Neonatology at USA Health, and Lisa Gore, a neonatal nurse practitioner, emphasized the rarity and severity of Tripp's case.

Even in a hospital specializing in neonatology, only around ten babies born before 22 weeks have been treated in the past decade, with only half surviving.

"Tripp's case is unusual," Gore noted. "There still are not a lot of cases of babies less than 22 weeks surviving. Our OB team works really hard at trying to keep these moms pregnant as long as possible because every single day matters."

Small but Mighty

Once born, Tripp was immediately placed on a ventilator and transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Trashinda and her husband, Herron Abney II, had to wait a month before they could hold their tiny son, who was under intensive medical care.

Babies born before 22 weeks are often so small they fit in the palm of an adult's hand, with closed eyes and tiny footprints about an inch long.

"It was scary to look at him, he was so small," Herron shared. Watching Tripp grow outside the womb was surreal, as they observed the developmental stages usually completed in the last months of pregnancy. "I had faith, but I wasn't sure he would survive."

A Family's Dedication

Balancing work, school, and hospital visits, Trashinda and Herron managed to see Tripp multiple times a day.

"We never missed a day," Trashinda said. "Especially once we got to hold him, I wanted to hold him so much."

Despite the early challenges, Tripp's time in the NICU was marked by relatively few complications, a miraculous outcome for a baby born so early.

"He actually had a pretty good course, particularly for somebody born as early as he was," Gore stated. "But it's still very complicated because we have to grow them outside in an environment that they shouldn't naturally be in."

A Bright Future Ahead

As Tripp celebrates his first birthday, his story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of love and dedication.

With a family that never gave up hope and a medical team that fought tirelessly for his survival, Tripp's journey from a fragile preemie to a thriving one-year-old is nothing short of inspirational.

Here's to many more birthdays, Tripp!

Sources:

• Baby born weighing less than 1 pound celebrates 1st birthday
• ‘Miracle’ boy given 1% chance of survival at birth celebrates his 1st birthday