Preemie Weighed Less Than 2 Lbs. at Birth, Left NICU 146 Days Later

Born a “micro preemie” at 26 weeks, a baby girl had a cheering entourage as she left a Long Island hospital after 146 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

On Wednesday, Sept. 17,  LaTashia Morris and David Taylor carried their daughter, Trinity Alexandria Rose Taylor, out of Catholic Health’s Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre to the sounds of “Hakuna Matata” from Disney’s The Lion King — the song that nurses played by her crib daily during her nearly five-month stay, according to a hospital press release.

“After 146 days in the NICU, finally bringing Trinity home feels like a mix of every emotion all at once,” Morris said, according to the hospital. “It’s freeing, overwhelming, and beautiful. Seeing her in her own crib, without wires or alarms, makes every hard day worth it.”

The family had many hard days. 

On April 24 — three months ahead of her July 31 due date — Trinity was born at just 1 lb. 14 oz., according to Mercy Hospital. The baby girl was delivered in her embryonic sack to protect her because she was so tiny, ABC affiliate WABC reported. 

“That’s a technique I use, sometimes very small babies get traumatized as they come out, so it’s best if you keep the bag intact,” Dr. Jahanshah Seraji of Mercy Hospital told the outlet.

Though Trinity was born a preemie, her care team assured her nervous parents that she’d be alright.

“The nurses and the doctors were on me like, ‘Nope, we’re not going down to that dark place, like she’s going to be okay, we got you, we got her,’ ” Morris told the outlet. “And they really did.” 

While the preemie had some issues with her lungs, eyes and heart, she is now healthy and weighs 11 lbs. 8.5 oz, WABC reported. A large care team rallied around her, but her parents and grandmother were also constantly at her side — the hospital became their second home, according to the release. 

Dr. Swarna Devarajan, Director of Neonatology, said that the baby holds the record for the longest NICU stay of her career.

“I’ve been a NICU physician for nearly 30 years, and days like this never get old,” Devarajan said, according to the hospital. “Her transformation is a powerful reflection of what advanced NICU care can achieve, and even more, a testament to the strength and spirit of one incredible little girl.”

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Morris has one message for other parents with babies in the NICU. 

“You are stronger than you feel right now. The journey is long, but brighter days are coming,” she said, according to Mercy Hospital. “You are not alone, and you are doing an amazing job.”