Wells Hurd spent the first 115 days of his life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) after entering the world at just 25 weeks old.
His mom Paige, 28, was pregnant with twins but sadly Ezra passed away just two hours after being born at their home in Indiana on November 5, 2021.
The heartbroken mom then gave birth to Wells in an ambulance where he spent 15 minutes fighting for his life as the emergency service didn’t have the resources for a baby so small.
But now, one year on, Wells is thriving after making a miraculous recovery.
What Is A MicroPreemie? How Are They Different From Premature Babies?
Every year, an estimated 15 million babies are born before 37 weeks of gestation according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
There are different sub-categories of preterm birth, based on gestational age:
Extremely preterm (less than 28 weeks)Very preterm (28 to 32 weeks)Moderate to late preterm (32 to 37 weeks).
Wells was slightly heavier than a can of soup, weighing 1 pound and 8 ounces, making him a micropreemie. A baby that’s born before 26 weeks of pregnancy, or weighs less than 28 ounces, is considered a ‘micropreemie’.
“Many survivors face a lifetime of disability, including learning disabilities and visual and hearing problems,” states WHO.
Speaking to Newsweek about the day Wells was born, Paige said: “As I was pregnant with twins, I had more scans than usual—all of which were normal.
“But, I just knew something was going to go wrong. I went to two different doctors and they said everything is ok but my maternal instincts disagreed.
“On the day I gave birth, I remember feeling fine as I rocked my daughter Hazel, then 11 months, to sleep.
“But then I felt a random pain but it wasn’t very severe, I put Hazel into her crib as the pain worsened.
“I quickly realized it was contractions, and in between calling my husband and calling 911, I gave birth to Ezra, just 15 minutes after I first noticed the pain.”
Two ambulances arrived and Ezra was taken in a separate one to his mother.
As they drove to a local hospital, she gave birth to Wells, who spent 15 minutes fighting for his life before arriving at the hospital.
Do MicroPreemies Have A Bigger Chance Of Having Health Problems When They Grow Up?
Stanford Medicine Children’s Health has released a study that looked at 10,877 babies born between 2013 and 2018 and “found a significant improvement in survival of those born between 22 and 28 weeks, compared to the past.”
The researchers studied the neurosensory, developmental and functional progress of babies born at 22-26 weeks of gestation, conducting evaluations when the children were 2 years old. Overall, about half had mild or no signs of neurodevelopmental problems, while 29 percent had moderate disabilities.
Paige told Newsweek: “My husband Zachary, 28, and I was prepared for the worst.
“The doctors said Wells is likely to have a bleed on the brain and could have cerebral palsy.”
There are a number of serious medical conditions that a micro preemie can face:
Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH): IVH is bleeding into parts of the brain. Micro preemies have fragile blood vessels in their brains, and these vessels can rupture easily. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC): Since micro preemies’ organs haven’t developed properly, their intestines are susceptible to infection. In NEC, the linings of the bowels become infected and begin to die. Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS): Most micro preemies have difficulty breathing after birth as they are so small. Sepsis: a life-threatening condition caused by bacteria entering the body. Micro preemies have immature immune systems and face many invasive procedures in the NICU making them more susceptible to infection.
“We were told about all the complications and warned he may not lead a normal life.
“The first week we got a call saying both of his lungs had collapsed, and they had to put emergency tubes in that immediately helped.
“Other than that, he had zero complications.
“The odds weren’t in his favor but I always knew he was going to be ok,” said Paige.
How To Deal With The Loss Of A Twin
On November 11, Paige held Wells for the very first time but it was also the last time she held Ezra.
It is normal to feel a range of emotions when dealing with the loss of a twin, Paige referred to herself as a twinless twin mom going through “simultaneous grief and celebration” on social media.
She also shared a video captioned: “Mother’s intuition is so strong. I also had a dream I delivered them the night before I actually did.”
More than 20 million people viewed the TikTok video that explains Paige felt a strong connection to just one twin throughout her pregnancy.
Dr. Alejandra Vasquez, a certified grief counselor, has written a blog post for grieving parents.
She shared the following tips to Join Cake, an end-of-life online platform:
Be present in your grief and avoid repressing your feelings. Share the memory of your twinTalk about your loss as it is part of the healing processTrust the process and remember it is normal to go through a mixture of emotions like anger and depressionAsk for help from family and reach out for support from a therapist or counselor
Dealing With Loss, While Trying To Celebrate New Life
This time last year, the couple was going through a difficult time. They were trying to deal with the loss of their son Ezra, visit Wells and look after toddler Hazel.
Zachary, who is also an engineer, had to return to work after two weeks of paternity leave.
Paige recalls feeling guilty on the days she was unable to visit Wells as she had coronavirus and a sinus infection.
She told Newsweek: “December was a rough month as I was ill meaning I could barely go and see him. It was awful not being able to see my child.
“Thankfully, I was better for Christmas day and we went to visit him. One of the nurses was kind enough to put decorations up for him.
Paige remembers feeling “helpless” while he was in NICU as the nurses were in charge of feeding and changing him.
She said: “I didn’t feel like a mom until he came home on February 28, 2022.”
When Can You Take A MicroPreemie Home?
Almost three months into the year, Wells was discharged and able to settle into life at home with his parents and older sister.
The Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit organization, has stated a premature baby is ready to go home when he or she:
Can breathe without supportCan maintain a stable body temperatureCan breast- or bottle-feedIs gaining weight steadilyIs free of infection
Paige said: “Comparing my NICU baby to my full-term daughter, it is a completely different experience.
“Wells was once the same size as a Christmas cookie and now he is so muscular.
“He uses every muscle in his body to do what he wants, he is reaching milestones quicker than Hazel did.
“In August, he was six months corrected and he started standing on his own.
“He is a wild little boy and a joy to be around. He has passed every expectation and tries his best to do everything Hazel does.
“This year, we are trying to do as many Christmas traditions as we can after missing out last year.
“We put our tree up in the middle of November and I have different festive-themed books to read every night in December to count down until Christmas.
“On the day, we are going to hang out with family and have Santa come in the morning.
“It’s going to be amazing to be able to finally enjoy all of us in the same room.”
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