Facing daunting odds when she was born in 2001 at 1 pound, 7 ounces, this Gordonville girl today is a plucky, active survivor.
By Ryan Robinson
Published Jun 21, 2006 13:45
Only about one of three babies born so prematurely lives, she was told.
Bobbi said the doctor told her and her husband, Randy, that if the baby survived, its chance of a normal life was extremely slim.
Later that day, Bobbi understood the doctor’s dire prediction when she saw her 1-pound, 7-ounce micropreemie.
With arms the size of an adult’s fingers, newborn Angelica May “looked like she could break,” Bobbi said.
Against all odds, the Morrises’ little “miracle” baby went home four and one-half months later from The Women & Babies Hospital of Lancaster General. That milestone was five years ago this week.
Now, Angelica cartwheels across the yard and plays hide-and-seek with her sisters. She’s raring to take the training wheels off her bike.
Angelica hears just fine and sees well without glasses, thanks to eye surgery as an infant. She is very coordinated and smart.
“What a blessing,” Bobbi said last week at the family’s home in Gordonville. “We are tickled at the outcome.”
Angelica climbs to the top of the swing set. Her long, dark-brown hair and hazel eyes match those of her sisters swinging below her. Her strength surpasses theirs.
“She is solid muscle,” Bobbi says of 35-pound Angelica, who is 42 inches tall.
But big sister April, 8, noted Angelica’s most telling trait.
“Angelica obeys,” April said manner-of-factly. “She is good.”
Bobbi said Angelica has a longer attention span than other children and listens well.
A doctor said a few weeks ago that Angelica seems to have a form of high-functioning autism.
That might explain why she focuses intently on a task and has so much patience, Bobbi said. Angelica carefully organizes things and prefers drawing at her desk to bouncing around with her sisters.
The Morrises had two more girls after Angelica: the now nearly 4-year-old Autumn and Andria, 1.
The couple “has seven more angels who went to heaven” after miscarriages, Bobbi said.
During her 19th week of pregnancy with Angelica, Bobbi said the family abruptly swerved their vehicle off a road to avoid hitting a drunken driver.
That caused labor pains and the eventual early birth of Angelica four weeks later on Feb. 11, 2001, Bobbi said.
Any babies born before 37 weeks of gestation can be called preemies.
About 1 of every 100 babies born in the United States is classified as being “very low birthweight” — less than 3 pounds, 4 ounces.
Micropreemies like Angelica who weigh less than 1¾ pounds and are born before 26 weeks of gestation are much more uncommon.
John Lines, director of community relations at Lancaster General Hospital, said The Women & Babies Hospital, which opened in 2000, delivered its 25,000th baby in March.
Since July 2002, Women & Babies delivered 56 babies at 25 weeks gestation or less, he said. Just half of those infants survived.
Just one quarter of the babies born at 23 weeks gestation lived, he said. Half of those survivors are expected to have no significant longterm effects from their early births.
When the Morrises took the then-6-pound, 12-ounce Angelica home five years ago, she still had health challenges.
Four days after arriving at home, Angelica briefly quit breathing four times in the span of 20 minutes due to acid reflux.
Angelica was hooked up to a breathing monitor for four months. Tubes were put in her ears to thwart frequent infections.
Her swollen tonsils and adenoids had to be removed. That operation seemed to make her whispery voice louder. Bobbi said Angelica may eventually wear a microphone necklace to further amplify her quiet voice.
Other than that, Angelica is much like any other 5-year-old.
She loves bananas, orange juice, ice cream and cake, and her little brown stuffed horse named Curly.
Her favorite color? “Pink.” She enjoys Sunday school and may enter kindergarten this fall.
Five years ago, when tiny Angelica was hooked up to wires and monitors in the hospital, Randy Morris longed for the day he could lay her on his chest.
When he returns home from work nowadays, Angelica and Autumn team up to tackle him to the floor.
He tickles them in an eruption of giggles.
One day recently, Angelica, April and Autumn plopped in little plastic chairs close to the television to watch their favorite movie, “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.”
After a while, Angelica went to her desk to color a picture with her crayons.
Outside the window grew several large trees.
Angelica looked out and smiled, lengthening the milk mustache still on her upper lip from lunch.
“I can climb them,” she said.
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