‘Miracle:’ Myrtle Beach toddler turns one after dangerously early birth

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — A human heart beats an average of just more than 42 million times every year.

In Taylor Jenkins’ household, each one of those life-giving pumps running through Tatum’s tiny body is a gift that defies the odds.

“She’s just a miracle,” Taylor said on Saturday where family gathered to celebrate Tatum’s first birthday at a Myrtle Beach-area swimming pool.

Born at just 22 weeks old, doctors gave Tatum Rose about a 33% chance of survival, spending the first months of her life at the Medical University of South Carolina’s neonatal intensive care unit.

Tatum was so tiny once she was born that even the smallest complication would have meant tragedy — any resuscitation efforts were off the table if she stopped breathing, because the procedure would have crushed her.

“When I went back for an emergency C-section, I woke up and had to ask if my child as alive or not,” Taylor said. “She was born at one pound.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines preterm births as any that occur before 37 weeks. Extreme prematurity can lead to health issues as vital organs remain undeveloped, if they form at all.

In South Carolina, about 12 percent of all babies are born early, according to CDC figures.

Each day of her hospital stay, Tatum was surrounded by friends and family. It’s where she first met her big brother, Cayde.

“She didn’t go through as much that (other) 22-weekers would, and we’re so grateful for that. She had no brain bleeds, all the holes in her heart closed up by themselves,” Taylor said. “She came home without oxygen. From her nano-preemie diapers to a size two and 16 pounds.”

Tatum’s “one in a melon” themed party on Saturday was a reflection of the joy and incredible progress she’s made. Photographs of her growth from a newborn so fragile she could barely be touched to the beaming, squirming child she is today adorned a table full of goodies bearing her name.

Without any critical health problems, Tatum was finally able to be discharged from her 150-day hospital stay — allowing her to go from a NICU incubator into the arms of family.

“Everyone has seen her through this journey. They’ve seen her from being born and translucent to one years old and crawling and talking and doing all of the things they said she would never be able to do,” Taylor said.

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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12 . See more of his work here .

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Hannah Huffstickler is a multimedia journalist at News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2024 after graduating from Coastal Carolina University in December of 2023. Keep up with Hannah on Facebook , X, formerly Twitter , and Instagram . You can also read more of her work here .

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