One of the smallest micro-premature babies to have ever survived in South Africa has been discharged from Netcare Kuils River Hospital in Cape Town, just in time to spend the festive season with her parents.
Born at 24 weeks via caesarean section, baby Hope Daniels weighed 300 grams, and had to spend more than nine months in the neonatal intensive care unit before being deemed strong enough to go home with parents Dorianne and LesleyDaniels.
In a statement on Friday, the hospital said that not only did tenacious little Hope beat the odds against her surviving, but had won the hearts of the doctors, management, nurses and other staff members at the hospital.
"We have been most satisfied with her neurological, visual and hearing developmental progress,” said Dr. Zaheera Kajee, a neonatologist at the hospital who has been part of the team responsible for Hope’s care.
She said the child now weighs 5.44 kilograms and is growing strong “and already has such a strong personality”.
Dr. Kajeesaid that Hope might not be the youngest but she has some claim to be considered the smallest micro-premature baby to have survived in South Africa.
Dorianne Daniels described her little girl as "my miracle baby".
"My husband, Lesley, and I have been trying to have a baby for the past 10 years, so we have been praying hard for Hope ever since her birth,” she said.
- African News Agency (ANA)
(Pics:Supplied.
