CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- There was an emotional, but joyous, farewell at UVA Health's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) Tuesday as a Powhatan County family was able to take their baby home after a 231-day stay.
The send-off included many hugs and tears, plus an appearance by Cav Man and the UVA Marching Band.
"It's surreal. And it's a dream that I never thought I'd have come true," said Katherine Morris, mother of McKinley Morris.
The Morris family journey began last year when Katherine was pregnant with twins, but they suffered from Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome, where one twin, in this case, McKinley, was receiving more nutrients than the other.
Katherine said she had surgery in an attempt to fix the issue when she was 16 weeks but suffered complications.
"During that surgery, which is always a risk, my…gestational sacs ended up being punctured and caused me to rupture, essentially breaking my water at 16 weeks, which is fairly early," said Katherine, who added the twins would not be considered viable until the 22-week mark. " I was basically kind of on my own until then hoping that I could just keep both of them in."
Katherine said a week later, she lost the smaller child, but McKinley kept hanging on.
"And we fought really hard until we made it to that 22-week mark, where the doctors were able to save him if he wanted to come early. But, he decided to stay in a little longer. I admitted myself into the hospital at 23 weeks and lived here for another four and I had him at 26 weeks and six days," said Katherine, who added McKinley weighed 2 lbs 8 oz at birth.
However, because of the low amount of complications, McKinley's lungs did not develop at the normal rate which led to the nearly eight-month stay in the NICU.
While McKinley is going home with some equipment to help his lungs, the family said they will continue to grow as he ages and he could be able to be without medical equipment by age seven.
"When you're in it knee-deep in it and you're in the NICU it's hard to see that light at the end of the tunnel. You're really, literally, just hoping that your baby makes it to the next day, you're not thinking about the future," recalled Katherine.
What helped get her, McKinley, and husband, Haynes, through, was the staff tasked with looking after them.
"He had a lot of ups and downs. He was definitely riding the wave. But, the team here is phenomenal. I mean, they've worked really hard and they stayed with him. He has his primaries, but, literally, we had everyone's hands on deck when it came to McKinley. And he was definitely well known throughout the NICU," said Katherine. "I mean, they're our family. I mean, that's all I can say -- is that they were our best friends, our family. They were in place of mom and dad for seven months. When we couldn't do it, they could."
For the team that was assigned to McKinley, the feeling of family was mutual.
"We take care of babies, but their families are our other patients," said nurse Hannah Fox, who said McKinley was a chill and happy baby. "Especially given everything he's been through and all the way ways we've had to intervene. You wouldn't expect happiness, but he's a very happy, smiley, chill guy who rolls with the punches and cries when he needs something and once we give it to him, he's happy and content and back to smiling."
For the staff, getting to finally say goodbye to families after stays of this length is indescribable.
"To meet these babies and families up their darkest moments, and even for us to be concerned about the potential outcomes and watching what these tiny patients face in their short little lifetime -- things that most adults haven't faced and will never have to face. And so, getting to send them home with their families healthy and happy is something that's hard to describe," said Fox, who said she wished McKinley had a smooth transition to his real home. "Just happiness more than anything."
The feeling of family and McKinley's survival, however, was not a shock to McKinley's grandmother -- Nani -- who has worked for UVA Health for over 30 years and was among the lead cheerleaders during the goodbye.
"UVA is considered one of the top hospitals, especially for children, and this is verification and real life, true story. And what I want to say is that I want to give hope to all the other NICU parents that are here that there is light at the end of the tunnel," said Nani. "Because he's living proof."
Hospital staff lined the corridors of the NICU as the Morris family walked McKinley out, wearing a "NICU graduate" hat and they were greeted by the UVA Marching Band outside the hospital.
Staff also gave McKinley a copy of Dr. Seuss' "Oh, the Places You'll Go" and left inscriptions for him.
As for where Katherine hopes her son will now go.
"The sky's the limit for him, you know. He's going to climb mountains and we're not going to stop him," said Katherine. "We're going to encourage him because that's what he did here."
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