Preemie Story of the Month: Brayden Thomas

“Miracles are possible! Brayden is our precious angel on earth!”

Brayden Thomas was born at 24 weeks + 4 days. He weighed 410 grams and measured 10 in. long.  Brayden made his early arrival due to Preeclampsia. The doctors tried to prepare me for his early arrival as I was prepped for a c-section surgery.  They gave Brayden only a 1% chance of survival.

Learn more about Brayden’s amazing NICU journey…


Brayden Thomas was born at 24 weeks + 4 days. He weighed 410 grams and measured 10 in. long. Brayden made his early arrival due to Preeclampsia. The doctors tried to prepare me for his early arrival as I was prepped for a c-section surgery.  They gave Brayden only a 1% chance of survival.

Upon Brayden’s birth, I was shocked that he was alive and fighting.  I put all my feelings aside and thought, “If Brayden is fighting, then I’m going to fight with him!”

Early on we were told he would need heart surgery and a trach to come home, but with lots of love, positivity, and prayers he made it home after a 10-month long NICU stay without either.   As Brayden is my first and only child, watching him on a ventilator and the many difficult conversations we had with his doctors as they continually provided us with a poor prognosis for Brayden were heartbreaking. At various times, we were told, “we are running out of options” when it came to Brayden’s care……these unknowns were the hardest moments of the NICU.  During Brayden’s NICU stay, I learned to focus on the positive. I never took the little things for granted. It’s amazing to me as a preemie mom how we see things like poopie diapers and breathing as big milestones…these are things that parents with healthy babies will never understand.


Currently, Brayden is  working on his fine motor skills like sitting on his own, rolling, and babbling. His therapist tells us that he is about three months behind developmentally but is quickly catching up. Brayden receives Occupational therapy, Physical therapy and Speech therapy. He’s currently on a quarter of a liter of oxygen and I couldn’t be any more blessed to have him in my life!

The advice I would give to preemie parents is to remember to take care of yourselves.  The NICU journey is emotionally, mentally and physically draining so if you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t be able to take care of your baby.  Also, be very hands-on with caring for your baby in the NICU. Don’t be afraid to hold your baby as it builds a closer bond. Learn everything you can about your baby’s diagnosis, research and ask questions.  Look up medical terms and feel empowered. You have a say! You make the decisions for your baby. If something doesn’t feel right, let the doctors know.

What helped me along the way was daily prayers for strength and family support.  There was also one special doctor who was extra supportive. She took the time to talk to me, check up on me regularly and helped me through the hardest times in the NICU.