Baby born weighing just over 1 pound thrives with help from March of Dimes

What's Right: March for Dimes helps baby born at just over 1 pound

Mark Wilson reports

TAMPA, Fla. - Parents of premature babies are finding comfort during a stressful and uncertain time thanks to the March of Dimes.

Jennifer and Nathaniel McCasland remember all too well the memories from the birth of their son Liam. "Oh yeah these are like little nose oxygen for him to breathe," Jennifer McCasland said.

Liam is now having fun in the playpen of life. But his entry into this world was traumatic.

Jennifer McCasland was 23 weeks pregnant when doctors said she had pre-eclampsia.

"I was 23 weeks pregnant, and I was just having, like, these weird cramping pains, tightness of the chest," Jennifer McCasland explained. "And I had that for about three days. So I reached out to my doctor and I said, ‘Something doesn't feel right.’"

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He sent her to Tampa General Hospital.

Liam McCasland spent months in the NICU.

"They told me that I had pre-eclampsia and they were going to admit me. And they said you were going to be in the hospital on bed rest, hopefully for ten weeks," Jennifer McCasland explained.

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A week later she had a C-section and baby Liam came into the world at just 1 pound 3 ounces.

Liam McCasland only weighed one pound three ounces when he was born.

"He came out screaming. They took him away and put him on a ventilator right away and took him to the NICU," she said.

Liam is now seven months old and weighs 20 pounds.

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"It was really scary," Nathaniel McCasland. "And seeing him now that how far he's grown and what he's done, it's. Yeah, it's great."

Liam McCasland is now seven months old and weighs 20 pounds.

Liam, is now healthy and active and Dr. Tara Randis says a big reason why is thanks to the March of Dimes.

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"They are looking at how to keep moms healthy, how to keep our babies healthy, how to predict and prevent preterm birth. So without them, lots of lives would be lost," Dr. Randis shared.