A baby born who was born 16 weeks early is getting to appreciate the everyday joys of life months after beginning services at The Warren Center.
Ashton was born at 24 weeks. He had a breech birth and weighed only 1 pound, 13 ounces. Following his birth, Ashton faced many diagnoses, including a perventricular leukomalicia cyst, an intraventricular hemorrhage, Hydrocephalus, which is the buildup of fluid in the cavities deep within the brain, chronic lung disease, and retinopathy of prematurity, which is an eye disease that can happen in babies who are premature. He’s also at risk for cerebral palsy.
Ashton remained in the neonatal intensive care unit for four months and finally got to come home. When he came home, he was on oxygen 24/7 and had to use a nebulizer, which is a small machine that turns liquid medicine into a mist.
The baby came to The Warren Center about one month after coming home from the hospital. Therapists noticed he had a difficult time with feeding and taking in enough calories due to weakness and poor coordination. Therapists at The Warren Center have been diligently working with Ashton to help him reach major milestones. Now, he is a champion at eating, as you can see below. His therapists say he’s excited about eating and is able to eat a variety of foods, including BBQ.
Ashton continues to show progress and has meet his goals, including sitting up and pulling to stand. He is currently working on core strength, trunk control, and independent transitioning to sitting. He has recently been fitted for orthotics to help with stability and mobility, and we hope this will help meet his current goals. He has come such a long way.
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