HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — While many families wait until Christmas morning to open presents, Tionna Waters’ gift arrived at her Henrico home before Santa Claus made his trip around the world. Baby Tyler, born 16 weeks early on June 9, has finally come home. After 200 days in the hospital, doctors said baby Tyler was strong enough to survive without their constant monitoring.
Tyler weigh just one pound when he was delivered at just 23 weeks. Doctors told Tionna Tyler was way too little and would not likely survive birth. His twin sister Taylor, who weighed even less, passed away in the hospital. But Tyler fought for his life.
“It was touch and go for both of them,” Tionna recalled. “Even after they were born, the nurses kept coming into my room telling me they might not make it.”
While Tyler gained strength in the NICU, he kept getting sick with infections, Tionna said. Those sickness delayed his release from the hospital. He was supposed to come home right after Thanksgiving, she said, but another infection added a few more weeks to his hospital stay.
This week, Tionna heard the words she was waiting to hear. Tyler was ready to go home.
“These babies are fighters and they are miracle babies,” she said. “At the end of the day, everything is up to God.”
Tionna said Tyler is up to 11 pounds and is doing a great job taking his bottle.
