Baby Jo: Smallest NICU Baby Defies The Odds
"We need to deliver. Like now."
“We need to deliver. Like now.”
Those were the words that changed the lives of Carolina Gonzales and Michael MacDougall. Their baby, Jo, was the tiniest baby ever born at Saint Francis Children’s Hospital, weighing only 12 ounces. She was born four months early at only 23 weeks and 4 days of gestation—what doctors consider to be the edge of viability.
In 2010, Carolina had been diagnosed with stage 3 carcinoma of the ovaries, going through chemotherapy, radiation, a stem cell transplant and surgery to have the tumor and one ovary removed. Having a baby, it seemed, might never become a reality. But in 2022, after only one round of in vitro fertilization, Carolina became pregnant. The pregnancy seemed normal until the 19th week.
“That’s when we learned she was very small,” Carolina said. About a month later, Carolina started having unusual symptoms at home. She couldn’t sleep, started vomiting and had gastric pain that felt like acid reflux.
“My husband took my blood pressure and it was very high,” Carolina said. “That was when we decided to go back to the hospital. I give all my friends who are expecting babies blood pressure cuffs now.”
At the hospital, Carolina and Michael heard the worst news. Carolina had preeclampsia—a dangerous condition of pregnancy causing high blood pressure—and HELLP syndrome, a rare complication that affects the blood, liver and blood pressure. Delivering the baby could wait no longer. Carolina remembers the words “like now” jolting her to the reality of having a super preemie who probably would not survive. Doctors prepared the couple for the worst. They weren’t even sure her mouth would be big enough to intubate.
“It was complete devastation,” Carolina said. “We had gone through all of this to have a baby, and it all could be taken away. Michael and I were both in tears.”
Baby Jo was born at 7:33 a.m., only three hours after they had arrived at Saint Francis. “It was jarring to see her in the incubator,” Carolina said. “Her skin was really translucent. It was so thin, so touching her was very scary. Her eyes were fused shut. Her ears were still doughy and unformed. We could see the outline of her ribcage. Her legs were springy little things. When she moved, her movement was jittery.”
On Day 9, Jo’s lung collapsed, and doctors told the couple there was nothing more to be done.
“I knew I’d have to plan a funeral,” Carolina said. “But she didn’t die. We were steadfast in our prayers and believed that she was meant to be in our lives. I definitely attribute her success to the doctor and the staff at Saint Francis. There was no playbook. They just had to rely on their experience, training and prayer.
“I can’t count the number of souls who were praying for this baby.”
Days became months, and Baby Jo kept surviving.
After 142 days, Jo was released from the Henry Zarrow Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the area’s only Level IV NICU. Today, she is a happy, healthy 2-year-old. She loves wearing lacy socks and bows in her hair.
She loves reading, pointing to animals in books and making growling sounds for the animal characters.
She is perfecting summersaults and jumping. When she stopped her oxygen in May, she started attending daycare.
She survived without any long-term heart, eye or brain issues. Her main issue is being small—not even on the growth charts yet. For follow-up, she sees pediatric pulmonologist Dr. Joseph Walter to keep an eye on her lungs. She also visits with a Saint Francis dietician to help her gain weight. Her parents are grateful to Saint Francis Children’s Hospital for the staff and technology that helped their daughter to thrive.
“Saint Francis is where miracles happen,” Carolina said. “I think about Jo being one baby born on one day, but there are babies going home every day who had struggles. So Saint Francis is where miracles are happening every single day.”
