Cloquet Baby Born Premature Remains in Hospital After Birth
Beau was Born at Just 26 Weeks Old
CLOQUET, Minn – One out of every ten babies is born prematurely nationwide, a number that is on the rise nationwide according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
In Minnesota, prematurity is the second leading cause of infant death.
Roxanne Wood and her finance Ryan Worgren know that experience all too well after their baby, Beau was born at 26 weeks in June, he was originally due in September. He weighed just one pound, two ounces.
“His hand was as big as my fingernail,” said Worgren.
“You could see his veins, his heart beating in his chest and he looked like he was transparent like there was nothing to him,” said Wood.
Doctors delivered Beau through a C-section, because the umbilical cord had stopped working. It was his only chance to live and survival is not guaranteed.
For the two months Beau has been alive, he hasn’t left the hospital. Only his parents are allowed to hold him due to his weakened immune system, as he battles complications with his micro-sized organs.
“There’s a lot of ups and downs, when he’s good he’s really good, when he’s bad he’s really bad,” said Wood.
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, the average medical costs for the birth of a healthy baby are $4,389 dollars for a premature baby its $54,194.
Health Department Data says preemie babies also tend to suffer from lifelong health issues, like feeding, digestive and breathing problems, cerebral palsy or developmental delays. The parents also experience a birth experience very different than they hoped for.
“We’ve experienced miscarriages in the past, excited to experience a full 9-month pregnancy, and we didn’t get to do that,” said Wood. “You feel like you’ve been robbed, like you didn’t experience a full pregnancy and what goes into it, it’s difficult.”
A fundraiser has been set up to help the Cloquet couple deal with the medical expenses, it can be found here.
Click here for more information on Minnesota premature births.
