OHIO — One in 10 babies in the United States is born too soon.
Premature birth and the complications associated with it are the leading cause of infant death in the U.S., according to the March of Dimes.
But one Cleveland-area preemie beat the odds and just celebrated his first birthday.
His mother, Meghan, and father, Frank, 13-year-old Lizzie, 10-year-old Lucy, 4-year-old Timmy, and the newest and littlest edition, 1-year-old Patrick, make up the LaFraniere household.
The family lives with their dog, Ricky, in Olmsted Township, which is a suburb southwest of Cleveland.
“Wasn’t planning on four but, you know, just in time things happen and we feel really blessed,” said Meghan.
Patrick recently celebrated his first birthday.
It’s a milestone all the more special when his parents reflect on all he’s been through in his first year of life.
“He’s a fighter. He’s amazing. He really is,” said Meghan.
Patrick was born prematurely at 24 weeks, 3 days.
“1 pound, 3.8 ounces. 11 inches long,” said his mother. “Toes were like sprinkles.”
He spent 124 days in the NICU at Cleveland Clinic’s Fairview Hospital. When he left, Patrick weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces, the size of a healthy newborn.
“There was a couple of scary moments, but he did it,” said Meghan. “This boy wants to live.”
It would be 15 days after he was born before Meghan could hold her son.
“Something clicked when I got to hold him. He just improved,” said Meghan. “Needed his mama, huh?” she said while playing with Patrick on her lap.
It was more than four months before Patrick met his siblings at a joyous homecoming.
“Coming home was just the best day ever,” said Meghan.
“I love him,” said Lucy while hugging her brother. “He loves me.”
Meghan’s pregnancy was unlike her first three. She was bleeding a lot.
“Several times I thought I miscarried,” she said.
It turns out that bleeding was caused by a placental abruption, which means her placenta was detaching from her uterus before childbirth.
“And the situation wasn’t going to get better,” she said.
That caused Patrick to be nutrient and oxygen-deprived.
“I could have went into labor at any moment,” said Meghan.
She stayed in the hospital for about a month and had two blood transfusions.
It was life or death.
Doctors told her if she continued with the pregnancy, she may not make it. And Patrick’s chances of survival weren’t good either.
“They knew I had three children and a husband at home,” she said.
But this mother was determined to give her son a fighting chance.
“These are tears of joy,” she said while holding Patrick and wiping away tears. “You know like, the littlest things you just really hold on to.”
She leaned on her faith.
“If he was a fighter, he was going to fight and he was going to live and if it was too much he would die naturally and we would mourn that way instead of making a decision of not giving him his choice,” said Meghan.
The NICU staff at the Cleveland Clinic became their support system in the isolated world caused by COVID-19.
Through all of Meghan and Patrick’s complications, Frank was forced to take on all of the responsibilities associated with parenting their other three children alone.
“Super worried about her,” said Frank about his wife.
The couple has been married for 16 years and Patrick wasn’t initially part of the plan.
“Best decision ever,” Meghan said with a smile.
Now, watching their boy grow is a miracle.
Patrick is a smiley, healthy and happy baby that completes the family.
“His presence has helped a lot of people I think,” said Meghan.
Dr. Jeff Chapa, a maternal-fetal medicine physician at the Cleveland Clinic, supported Meghan and Patrick throughout their journey.
Chapa helped deliver Patrick and said this is really a story of hope and perseverance.
“When you think about someone deciding whether or not they should even continue their pregnancy for their own safety and then kind of, you know, being responsible and thinking it out that way and then getting through the pregnancy and getting those extra three weeks, and getting to the point where she’s able to have a great outcome. I mean it’s really a testament to Meghan and her inner strength and fortitude,” said Chapa.
Premature birth can lead to long-term intellectual and developmental disabilities and has also been linked to lung and breathing problems among other health conditions.
But Meghan said Patrick is doing fantastic.
Right now he is seeing a physical therapist, but he’s not taking any medications for his lungs anymore and he doesn’t have to do any breathing treatments.
All of that is encouraging news for doctors like Chapa who say odds are Patrick will continue to grow and live a happy, purposeful life.
