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Mom brings baby home from NICU after not knowing she was pregnant
ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos • • health
Key Points:
- Alysha MacDougall, unaware she was pregnant due to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), gave birth prematurely in an ambulance during a blizzard on January 26, delivering her son Julian at an estimated 22-23 weeks gestation.
- Julian spent 154 days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, where he was critically ill at birth but gradually overcame numerous health challenges, including lung and adrenal insufficiency.
- Despite a typical survival rate of about 15% for babies born this early, Julian was discharged weighing nearly 10 pounds, showing no brain bleeding and feeding well, though he went home on oxygen support.
- MacDougall and her fiancé Carl Pina chose to pursue all possible treatments for Julian, maintaining a positive outlook and partnering closely with medical staff throughout his care.
- Bringing Julian home on June 29 was a joyous milestone for the family, with MacDougall describing him as a "miracle baby" and a testament to their resilience.
