A Mississippi Miracle

One pound and small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, that was the size of Sylvie Stevens when she was born at 25 weeks gestation.

Sylvie’s mom, Presley Stevens, went for a routine anatomy scan at 22 weeks pregnant excited to see the daughter she was expecting to welcome in September. Presley couldn’t wait to see her daughter’s profile on the ultrasound screen and hear the beat of her growing heart. Having experienced a pregnancy loss shortly before this pregnancy, the Stevens family were overjoyed to have a baby girl on the way.

Their excitement quickly turned to devastation. It was at that doctor’s appointment when Presley and her husband, Nolan, learned that their daughter was severely growth restricted and would not likely survive outside the womb. The Stevenses were heartbroken by the news and Presley wept as she struggled to wrap her head around their new reality.  

Three weeks later, Presley experienced a dangerous spike in her blood pressure. To give her daughter a fighting chance at survival, Presley needed to deliver her baby immediately.

Doctors rushed to deliver Sylvie who spent the first two weeks of her life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at her birth hospital. Sylvie needed more intensive care and resources so she was transported to Le Bonheur to receive the highest level of care in the region’s only Level IV NICU.

When we are not able to be at the hospital, Sylvie’s care team has done a great job explaining everything in detail to us over the phone. Every nurse in the NICU has been so positive and made us feel comfortable.

Sylvie was diagnosed with a level-four brain bleed and a build-up of fluid on the brain called hydrocephalus. In order to help her breathe, doctors placed her on a ventilator. Currently, Sylvie is in an isolette to keep her warm as her body learns how to regulate its own body temperature.

“Sylvie is truly a miracle,” Presley said. “She is a fighter and it means so much that we have access to this amazing care for her at Le Bonheur.”

Sylvie continues to improve each day and as she grows, she will eventually need a shunt placed in her brain to help drain the fluid.

Presley and Nolan travel the 90 minutes from Le Bonheur back to their Hickory Flat, Miss., home to care for their 5-year-old son and when they are unable to be at Sylvie’s bedside, they are grateful for the updates they receive from her care team.

“When we are not able to be at the hospital, Sylvie’s care team has done a great job explaining everything in detail to us over the phone,” Presley said. “Every nurse in the NICU has been so positive and made us feel comfortable.”

While the Stevens family know Sylvie has a long road ahead before she is able to go home for the first time, they also know Le Bonheur will be there every step of the way to care for any health needs that arise.

Thanks to your support, a few years ago Le Bonheur expanded its NICU and added more beds so that babies like Sylvie have access to the care and resources they need to not only survive but thrive.