Toddler Finally Goes Home After Spending The First 524 Days Of Her Life In Hospital

A toddler from Illinois is finally home after spending the first 524 days of her life in the hospital.

Autumn, who was born prematurely at 23 weeks in March 2021, spent her first year in the neonatal intensive care unit at Lurie Children’s Hospital, and then moved on to the pediatric intensive care unit until she was 18 months old.

Due to being born so early, the 1.1-pound micro preemie suffered from various complications, including a chronic lung disease called bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Her oxygen level was dipping and her heart rate would become extremely low. Her heart was very strained from having to work overtime to pump blood through her lungs and to pick up oxygen, which made her even sicker.

She was given a 50 percent chance of survival, as doctors were not even confident that she would make it through all of her issues.

But Autumn would soon prove her strength, resiliency and willpower to live.

The hospital treated her with several medications, ands he eventually underwent surgery to have a breathing tube placed. She received oxygen therapy and other care to help her get stronger and her lungs heal.

Throughout her long hospital stay, Autumn’s mom, Tyler Robinson, made it a priority to visit her daughter every day and show her support.

“I talked to her and I would tell her, ‘Autumn, it’s OK, if you’re ready to go. But if you’re not ready to go, and you want to keep fighting this good fight, mommy gonna keep fighting this good fight with you and we’re gonna keep doing this together no matter what,'” Robinson told GMA. “I would just pray on my baby, talk to my baby, sing to my baby.”

Recently, Autumn was finally deemed healthy and strong enough to finally go home. Although she has a home nurse and is on a ventilator to help her breathe better, she continues to make strides every single day.

While Autumn made it home from the NICU, many other babies sadly never get that same chance.

Robinson is sharing Autumn’s story in the hopes that she can spread awareness about the trauma that parents, caregivers and hospital staff in the NICU face on a daily basis.

She hopes hospitals will hire more counselors to talk to parents about PTSD they may have from childbirth or the endless possibilities of complications they may face afterwards.

Hear Autumn’s inspiring story in the video below: