Lucas Simpson, who was born at 24 weeks, was hospitalized for 127 days before he could return home. The tiny fighter defied the odds by surviving despite being prematurely born, barely two days past the UK’s abortion restriction. Lucas was born on June 24, four months before his October 9 due date, weighing only 1 lb 6 oz (740 grams).
Despite being born more than 100 days prematurely, his parents are enthusiastically expecting their first Christmas as a family of four in their Skipton, near Leeds, residence. Two weeks before the birth of her second child, Laura Mount found she was pregnant for the third time.
She stated, “I was in the bathtub when I felt my stomach move.” I had irregular periods but no symptoms. When I learned I was pregnant at 21 weeks, I thought we had sufficient time to prepare. This was gleaned from the initial scan. We never expected to see him so quickly. There was a boy.
A few weeks later, Laura required hospitalization because she was in pain. When I was 4 cm dilated, they gave me a steroid shot. My local hospital did not have the necessary supplies for infants younger than 32 weeks, so we had to travel 40 minutes away at midnight. They provided me with confusing information before I meticulously outlined the most significant obstacles she would face. I must prepare for the worst because it is still too early. I was born at 24 weeks and five days.
When he was born, his fingernails and nipples were already formed. While I was the pro-choice candidate, the abortion limit was too high for me to support it. Lucas struggled mightily to make it back home. “He was born with a cardiac murmur because one of his heart valves did not seal properly,” the 29-year-old stated.
That ended at 10 weeks, so we waited to see what transpired. In addition, he contracted infections, required seven blood transfusions, and was forced to return home on oxygen due to inadequate lung development. He underwent laser eye surgery and was on a ventilator for seven weeks.
Until he was 52 days old, he required intensive care; thereafter, he was severely dependent. When he weighs 2 kilograms, he can be placed in the crib, and when his temperature is stable, he can be dressed. Because he required intensive care, he had to be placed on a ventilator; I could only hold him for 30 seconds. His skin is so thin and translucent that we can see his veins. It is astonishing how far he has progressed. Despite being delivered five days past the UK’s abortion limit, LLaura was shocked to learn that Lucas was in wonderful health.
Before Lucas could be transported to their local hospital, Laura and her 40-year-old partner Allan had to go to Bradford every week for three months, a distance of 40 miles round trip. “The medical personnel at Royal Bradford Hospital were able to save Lucas’s life,” she claimed. Throughout the initial several months, they provided him with everything he needed to fight.
The staff at Airedale General Hospital attempted to return Lucas to his home and foster his growth. I will be eternally appreciative, and I cannot thank them enough. Every day, he grew stronger, which surprised me because I had always believed he wouldn’t live. On October 25, when his brother returned home, Laura recalls the first moment Isaac saw his sibling.
Currently, Lucas weighs 12 pounds and nine ounces and fights with numerous medical issues. Laura, who works for a construction organization, stated, “The previous few months have been quite challenging, one with Isaac and one at the hospital, we were like trains passing and being pushed in different places, Isaac being alone and needing us as well. We also completed construction on our new home on the day I went into labor and moved in at the end of November, which was a truly daunting span of time. When Lucas gets home, our family is completely complete, especially during the holiday season.
“I lost a week of sleep monitoring his oxygen levels, but Lucas is our super-baby. He has seamlessly integrated into our family, completing us. “His return is the nicest gift I could have wished for.”