A premature baby who was delivered 13 weeks early and weighing just 1 pound has finally gone home after spending the first 104 days of her life at a New York hospital.
Hannah Bella Rodriguez, who is known as “miracle baby” near her hometown of East Meadow on Long Island,” had grown to 5 pounds, 5 ounces when she was officially discharged in a special ceremony at the Nassau University Medical Center at 11 a.m. Tuesday, ABC New York station WABC has reported.
Hannah’s Mom, Jennifer Pena de Mena, was hospitalized in June due to pregnancy complications, and doctors decided to deliver Hannah the next month after her heart rate began to decline.
De Mena said that she was “so scared” when she received an emergency C-section to deliver her daughter.
“I was crying in the surgery room, but they held my hands, and they told me everything is for your baby,” she told WABC.
Hannah is the tiniest baby ever to be born at the hospital and was about the size of an average adult hand when she was born.
During the ceremony, de Mena thanked the hospital staff she entrusted with her and Hannah’s care.
“I never lost my faith,” de Mena said. “She’s always going to be my beautiful baby, and I love her.”
Doctors finally allowed Hannah to leave hospital walls after she was able to grow and stabilize.
Hannah will continue to attend regular check-ups for premature newborns, but de Mena said that she knows “everything is going to be OK.”
Wishing this family all of the best!