Meet the premature 2lbs 13oz baby who was born so small at 28 weeks he was dwarfed by his teddy. Elias Del Collo was born 12 weeks early and spent 98 days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) fighting for his life.
His mum, Rebekah, 36, had started haemorrhaging and was blue-lighted to Inspira Hospital, New Jersey, US, where Elias was born just hours later. The tiny tot was immediately whisked to the NICU with a faint heartbeat.
After four days, Elias developed a septic shock and was flown to another hospital - Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware, US. After being diagnosed with quadriplegic cerebral palsy, visual impairment and chronic lung disease, Rebekah is happy her son defied the odds after doctors warned he wouldn't make it.
Elias is now a cheeky two-year-old who loves listening to music and he still has the teddy he cuddled up to in NICU - affectionally named nut nut. Rebekah, a stay-at-home care, from Deptford, New Jersey, US, said: "My husband, Nathan, 36, and I were both traumatised.
"Elias was born at the height of Covid and the policy was one parent at a time. They woke us up in the middle of the night telling us Elias had to be flown off to a different hospital.
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"We got to see him together, at that point we knew there was a chance he might not make it. Doctors did not seem hopeful he would make it. Every update they were giving us was grimmer.
"We got the dog teddy for him when we found out we were having a little boy to take pictures each month with it. It is a special keepsake that he will keep he sleeps with it every night.|"
After experiencing a 'textbook' pregnancy, Rebekah started haemorrhaging while giving her other son, Jude a bath. She was rushed to hospital and gave birth to her son on June 22, 2020.
He had a very faint pulse and not breathing. After being in the NICU unit for four days, he went into septic shock after his catheter perforated his hepatic vein.
Resulting in Elias developing necrotizing enterocolitis and peritonitis with ascites that compressed his heart and lungs. He was then flown to another hospital - Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware, US - where he spent a further 98 days in NICU.
Rebekah said: "Doctors didn't seem hopeful that he would make it. He went into cardiac arrest and had been resuscitated.
"We were terrified we did not think he would make it. We were told that if he did survive, he would have lifelong disabilities."
After a long stay in the hospital, Rebekah and her husband, Nathan, 36, a project manager, were able to take Elias home in September 2020. Rebekah said: "It was incredible to finally be able to take him home.
"It was scary as he came home with a feeding tube, we were a little anxious but finally happy to bring him home. He is very happy, he keeps everybody laughing, has a big personality and is very determined."
Elias' lungs are expected to get stronger the older he gets, and he is expected to live a long life. Rebekah said: "When they had told us that he might not make it, I kept praying that I would get to know who he was and his personality.
"I grew up around people with disabilities that did not scare me - I wanted him alive. Every day we have him is a gift and we are grateful to get to know him and who he is.
"His first few months were very traumatic but overall, it has grown the family a lot. It has shifted my perspective on a lot of things - we have gained a whole new community.
"It is funny looking back because when I see pictures I feel like it doesn't do it justice of how small he was - my hand would cover his body. His little diapers were the size of a cracker, it is incredible to look at him and try to even imagine the size he once was."
