Miracle Baby Born at Hurley Medical Center—Genesee County's Highest Level Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)—Weighing 1 Pound, 5 Ounces, 12 Inches Long

FLINT, Mich., Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The name Kaidyn is an appropriate one for Hurley Medical Center's latest miracle baby. It means "little fighter or warrior." Kaidyn Terrell Lewis of Flint, Michigan, is indeed a fighter. He was born weighing 1 pound, 5 ounces, measuring 12 inches on August 10, 2010, eleven weeks ahead of schedule. Today, Kaidyn tips the scale at three pounds, 14 ounces.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101015/DC82983)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20101015/DC82983)

The road to parenthood wasn't an easy one for Terry and Alicia Lewis. After five miscarriages, Alicia was thrilled to be expecting her baby. At 29 weeks gestation, her ultrasound revealed intra-uterine growth restriction or IUGR, which meant that her baby wasn't growing appropriately. Kaidyn was born by c-section soon after. The amazing part is that Kaidyn was on a ventilator less than 12 hours, and was switched to a breathing machine for just one day! Kaidyn suffered no brain bleeding and no heart conditions—he just needed time to grow. And today, he is thriving, and going home.

"Kaidyn is alive and growing because of Hurley's Level III NICU, and the outstanding clinical and compassionate care he received. We are so grateful Hurley is here to help the region's smallest babies get the care and treatment they need. I know there is no way our Kaidyn would have made this journey without Hurley. We will forever be blessed because of your amazing NICU. Thank you for saving our baby's life," say Alicia and Terry Lewis, Kaidyn's parents.

"Hurley joined the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions in September. This is the very best place for the region's smallest and critically ill babies. We have what babies like Kaidyn need, around the clock. As the only Level III NICU in Genesee County, we care for more than 800 babies annually, and we continue to be touched each day by the miracles we see in this state-of-the-art unit," says Esam Kazem, MD, Hurley Medical Center Neonatologist.

"This is such a special day for the Lewis family. I've knew they'd be phenomenal parents, and when little Kaidyn was born, I just wanted him to be happy and healthy. He's growing stronger every day, and this is a personal journey for all of us. We are so happy, and this is why I do what I do—my goal is a happy mommy and a happy baby. Having Kaidyn doing so well is really icing on the cake for me," says Mattie Scott-Phillips, MD, FACOG, Alicia's OB/GYN.

Hurley Medical Center is a 443-bed premier public teaching hospital located in the heart of Genesee County, Michigan.  As the region's only Level I Trauma Center, Burn Center, and the highest level Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) available, Hurley is a recognized leader in clinical care and education, maintaining affiliations with Michigan State University, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan-Flint, Children's Hospital of Michigan-Detroit Medical Center, Mott Community College and Henry Ford Health System. Founded in 1908, Hurley provides patient care for more than 100,000 people annually.

SOURCE Hurley Medical Center