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You are here: Home / Blog / Smallest preemies/Biggest fighters, Amari’s Story

Smallest preemies/Biggest fighters, Amari’s Story

September 26, 2016 By Shann 16 Comments

One of the Smallest Preemies

Take your soda can or water bottle and pick it up. Now, hold it in your arms like a baby. Can you imagine a baby weighing less than that? Today’s mother, Rodericka, didn’t have to imagine it. She gave birth to one of the smallest preemies we’ve featured on Micro Preemie Mondays.

As we all know, the smallest preemies are often the strongest fighters. Do you remember meeting Naomi? She weighed under a pound, and fought like a champ to prove all of the doctors wrong. Today’s micro preemie did the same. His story of survival is incredible, and so is he.

smallest preemies

Please meet Amari, as told by his mother, Rodericka.

Amari

 

1.Tell us about your baby.
His name is Amari. He was born weighing 15 oz at 24 weeks. Amari spent 121 days in the NICU. He had a grade 4 brain bleed on both sides, and it cleared up. He also had to have surgery the day he was supposed to go home to get 3 hernias fixed. They started causing him problems.

 

Amari, one of the Smallest Micro Preemies Featured on Micro Preemie Mondays
2. How long were you in the NICU? What was the hardest part?
He was in the NICU for a total of 121 days. 111 in one hospital, and then transferred to another hospital to have surgery and spent 10 days. The hardest part was seeing him the day he was supposed to come home, and he didn’t look like himself. His monitors kept going off, and he wouldn’t eat. I received a phone call when I left the hospital an hour later, and they ask me to return back to the hospital. He needed emergency surgery and had to be transferred as soon as possible.

 

Smallest preemies
Photo Credit: Capturing Hopes Photography

High Risk

3. Do you know what caused your premature birth?
Amari was born due to Preeclampsia and HELLP Syndrome. (To learn about both, please click HERE)

I was considered high risk already because I had pneumonia when I was pregnant with him when I was 10 weeks. One day, I had a real bad headache and checked my blood pressure. It was 170/117 (The normal range, according to heart.com, is less than 120/80.)

I went to the local hospital, and I did the 24 hr urine test. My protein was 3,000+,  so I was transferred to a high risk hospital with a NICU at 22 weeks. I stayed until I developed HELLP, and I had to get an emergency c-section. I had to be put to sleep because my liver count was 33,000. Amari was delivered at 24 weeks and 1 day.

 

Smallest preemies are the strongest fighters
4. How are you and your baby doing now?

WE are both doing well! ????

Amari is 7 months adjusted, and as of today his actual age is 3 months. He had to have OT before he came home to help him eat. As of now, he is not in any therapies. He is also oxygen free. I have another son named AJ, and he will be 2 yrs old in December.

AJ was born at 38 weeks, and he weighed 4 lbs 15 oz due to Preeclampsia.

Smallest preemies, Amari's story
5. What advice would you give to a new preemie parent?
BELIEVE!! GO TO THE SUPPORT GROUPS & arts & crafts!! Talk to your baby doctors & nurses!! When you bring them home, remember who sat at their bedside everyday and watched them grow.  Don’t be ashamed to ask visitors to not come around or to wash their hands . We are our baby’s advocates.
PRAY IF YOU BELIEVE IN PRAYER, and never feel like you didn’t try your best!

Amari's Story, smallest preemies

 

Thank you so much to Rodericka for sharing precious Amari with us. Please leave any supportive comments below.

 

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Filed Under: Blog, Micro Preemie Mondays Tagged With: 24 weeker, hellp, hellp syndrome, hernia, micro preemie, NICU, preeclampsia, smallest preemies, surgery, your baby's advocate

Comments

  1. Lindsay Katherine says

    September 26, 2016 at 8:37 am

    I love these stories; this is such a beautiful example of strength (in mom and baby) and the beauty of life, both big and small.

    Reply
  2. Mistle says

    September 26, 2016 at 10:01 am

    Oh my gosh how adorable is he!!! I am so glad that he is doing better. I continue to pray that he stays strong!

    Reply
  3. Lynn Jones says

    September 26, 2016 at 10:24 am

    Thanks so much Shann Eva for having these kind of outlets for parents of preemies to come together to help each other. I’m Amari’s Nana, I just want to say that Rodericka and Andre(my son) are great and very strong parents they both found strength that they never imagined that they had. Love You Both 🙂

    Reply
    • Shann Eva says

      September 26, 2016 at 11:04 am

      Awe. Thank you. You sound like one proud Nana, and you deserve to be. They are all amazing!

      Reply
  4. shelah moss says

    September 26, 2016 at 11:36 am

    Amari is an adorable super hero! He is lucky to have such a wonderful, strong mother.

    Reply
  5. Allison Arnone says

    September 26, 2016 at 2:37 pm

    thanks for sharing this story! what a strong and amazing little guy (and mama!)

    Reply
  6. Jasmine Hewitt says

    September 26, 2016 at 3:07 pm

    Such a beautiful little boy! thank you for sharing his story!

    Reply
  7. Jennifer Corter says

    September 26, 2016 at 3:45 pm

    Such a strong little man! He is incredibly cute too and I absolutely love his name!

    Reply
  8. Savannah says

    September 27, 2016 at 8:10 am

    Oh, what an incredible story. It’s always amazing how these babies fight to defeat the odds. Such a strong mother, I cannot imagine how difficult the fight must’ve been for you <3 Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
  9. CourtneyLynne Storms says

    September 27, 2016 at 8:33 am

    Awwww what a little fighter!!!!! Such an amazing story to see how he was really that itty bitty and beat the odds!

    Reply
  10. The Stay-at-Home Life says

    September 27, 2016 at 6:00 pm

    He is so cute and such a fighter! I hope he continues to do well! <3

    Reply
  11. Tiffani G. says

    September 27, 2016 at 7:40 pm

    Blessings to baby Amari, AJ, and Rodericka! My son was born at 35 weeks and 5 days. Being a NICU mom is hard, but reading their story gives me hope for the smallest babies.

    Reply
    • Shann Eva says

      September 28, 2016 at 8:27 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  12. Ruby says

    July 8, 2019 at 3:48 pm

    I had my son very early also at 1 pound he now 14 years old I had preacleepca to

    Reply
  13. Debra says

    December 23, 2020 at 2:33 pm

    I just found your blog on pintrist Thank you for showcasing beautiful stories of our littlest miracles. My son, Sam, was born three months early weighing 1 lb. 13 oz. His twin sister, Allison, passed away after 11 days. Going back into the NICU everyday for two and a half months was terribly difficult. But we were blessed that we still had sweet Sam. He is now 13 and doing well. He’s had some minor delays but has overcome so much. His current battle is juvenile arthritis. He’s my miracle boy!’
    I wrote a book as a tribute to Sam, Allison, Emily his adopted sister, and all miracle babies. It’s a children’s book of hope and inspiration.
    Here’s my website!!! https://sammiesalmon.com/
    God Bless!!
    Debra

    Reply
    • Shann says

      December 31, 2020 at 9:03 am

      Hi Debra! Thank you so much. I’m so sorry for the loss of your daughter Allison. I’m happy to hear about your miracle, and her twin brother, Sam. I look forward to visiting your site and reading more about your children and your journey. Thank you again!

      Reply

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Meet Shann

Shann Hi! I'm a mom, writer, and dancer. I love sharing my parenting experiences, my healthy living tips, my money saving ideas, and our travel plans. My passion to help other women inspired this blog. I hope you'll stay a while and come back often.

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