This archive report was first published on 31 July 2019.
On July 11, Ellonn Smartt, an Iowa mom, gave birth to her baby boy, Jaden Morrow, four months early via C-section. The premature baby weighed only 13 ounces and is being cared for in the NICU at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines until his due date in November.
According to Ellonn, doctors told her that there was a good chance Jaden wouldn’t survive, but despite the risks, she stayed calm and gave birth to her miracle baby. ‘They said I was going to have to deliver in the next day or two and there was a good chance he wouldn’t survive,’ Ellonn told Today Parents. ‘That was the moment when I fell apart. I was heartbroken.’
Ellonn had a C-section and delivered Jaden, who was moving and trying to breathe on his own. ‘His arms and toes were moving and he was trying to breathe on his own,’ Ellonn told TODAY Parents. ‘He’s our little miracle.’
Only about half of 1 percent of births happen before the third trimester, which begins at 28 weeks, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Births that occur between 20 and 25 weeks, six days (like Jaden's), are considered periviable births—or, births at the limit of viability, when a fetus could theoretically survive on its own outside the womb.
Jaden is being treated in the NICU, where he will stay until his Nov. 6 due date. ‘For most part, Jaden is stable,’ Ellonn told Today Parents. ‘He’s on a ventilator and had a small infection, but his doctors think he looks great. He’s getting breast milk and gaining weight.’
Ellonn and her boyfriend Jordan Morrow, Jaden's father, created a GoFundMe page a few days after Jaden was born to help with expenses. They've already surpassed their $2,500 goal with 85 donations and counting. The couple has shared photos and updates on Jaden's progress to the page.
