NICU babies are true survivors. They show us the power of faith, prayer, and the human spirit. They are the embodiment of perseverance.

Ratani Patel and Virendra Patel are from Mumbai. Virendra works as a scrap merchant security guard, earning Rs 40,000 per month, and Ratani is a homemaker. Ratani had multiple severe cases of endometriosis and diabetes, due to which she was unable to conceive. With proper medical management and proper consultation with her gynecologist, she conceived twins. But her pregnancy journey was never smooth. She has to go through an emergency C-section due to rupture of the amniotic sac and early labor pain. The twin baby boys were delivered at the 27th week of gestation, of which one twin expired and the other twin baby boy survived. The baby had an extremely low birth weight of 960 grams and was extremely sick and weak. The tiny one needed NICU care immediately (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) as he had severe respiratory distress and a congenital heart defect called “Patent Ductus Arteriosus”. This condition can let oxygen-poor blood move the wrong way. This can weaken the heart muscle, causing heart failure and other complications if the surgery isn’t done at the right time. The baby boy also had other complications like retinopathy of prematurity and anemia, and due to his extremely low birth weight, he needed CPAP support. The condition was aggravating so much that the team of doctors led by Dr. Suresh Birajdar had to take a call. Side by side, the cost of the NICU stay was also increasing, and parents were stressed about how they would be able to pay for the treatment.

Virendra was concerned that his little bundle of joy needs to stay for a longer period in the NICU, and with the salary that he is earning, he won’t be able to afford it. That’s when the hospital referred them to the Neonates Foundation of India, where they found hope, faith, and their prayers that the couple’s little fighter could be saved.

Through the clinical and financial support provided by both organizations, the baby boy showed great determination to survive in spite of so much difficulty. The baby is still there in the NICU; his condition is slowly improving, and he is doing well.