Her mom says:
Mia Mae turned two on July 31st. She was born with the odds against her, but she fought against them. She was born with congenital heart defects and Trisomy 18, weighing 3 lbs, 4 oz. When we were told of Mia’s Trisomy 18 diagnosis, we were told to plan for the worst. They said it was a miracle that she survived in utero and delivery. We were told we would only get a few days with her and if she survived several weeks or even a few months, she only had a 5-10% chance of making it to her first birthday. At 2 weeks old and weighing only 3 lbs, Mia underwent her first heart surgery when her lungs began to flood. She rebounded and was discharged home at 5.5 weeks old to grow for her open heart surgery. The week before her scheduled surgery, at four months old, she began to decline quickly and was admitted to the PICU. She fought through again and made it to her open heart surgery and beat the odds. She was discharged on oxygen, but was able to ditch that within a few months.
Since her first birthday, she has not been hospitalized or required any surgery besides elective eye surgery to help her developmentally. Mia has continued to not only beat the odds, but do things we were told she would never do. She is learning to stand and take assisted steps. She is learning to sit independently. She has the skill to eat fully by mouth and we are hoping to see that come to light in the next year. She has a smile and a laugh that could light up a room from a mile away. She is beginning to say a few words and her mama heard, “love you” for the first time a couple weeks ago. For a girl, whom we were told is incompatible with life, it is truly amazing to see her love and live her best life. She has truly helped us, as her parents, and those around her, love their lives even more in the process.
