A NICU team just got the best Mother’s Day gift imaginable: a visit from the miracle baby they helped save, writes CBS News Philadelphia.
The neonatal intensive care unit at Jefferson Abington Hospital welcomed back the Krause family this week for an emotional reunion. Baby Alton Krause spent 142 days in the NICU after being born in September at just 22 weeks. Four months before his due date, he weighed only one pound.
Dr. Eddie Chang, a neonatologist at Jefferson Abington, described 22 weeks as “the gray area or the borderline of viability.” Alton developed a lung condition and was treated with a high-frequency jet ventilator. The machine delivers 300 to 400 tiny breath pulses per second into a baby’s lungs. Dr. Chang credits it as a critical factor in Alton’s survival.
Today, Alton weighs 12 pounds and is hitting every milestone. His parents, Kayla and William Krause of Bensalem, say the NICU staff became family during those 142 days. “They saved his life,” Kayla said. “They were like second moms to him.”
The timing makes the moment even sweeter. The Krauses found out they were pregnant last Mother’s Day. This year, they’re celebrating with Alton home and healthy.
Doctors say he survived without any complications, a true testament to the care delivered right here in Montgomery County.
To learn more about Alton’s story, visit CBS News Philadelphia.
