Baby girl born at 25 weeks continues fighting for her life, parents told she wouldn’t make it

HICKORY FLAT, Miss. (WMC/Gray News) – A baby girl is fighting to stay alive at a hospital in Memphis after being born at just 25 weeks.

Her name is Sylvie and her mother, Presley Stevens, said Sylvie continues beating the odds, especially after being told she wouldn’t survive.

Stevens said Sylvie weighed exactly one pound when she was born a little over two weeks ago. She said Sylvie is a fighter but has a very long road ahead of her in the NICU at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.

“She truly is a miracle,” said Stevens.

Stevens said Sylvie now weighs a little over a pound, and she is already so full of life, feisty, and strong.

Stevens also said that Sylvie is named after her great-grandmother, Sylvia, who was also described as strong and feisty.

Stevens remembered the moment Sylvie was born.

“I didn’t get to hold her or anything, but they pushed her over to me and I was just in awe of her because I didn’t think we would be here at all,” said Stevens.

At the start of the pregnancy, all her appointments were normal. During the anatomy scan, usually done between 18 and 22 weeks of pregnancy, looking closely at the baby’s growth, Stevens said it showed Sylvie was extremely tiny.

“That doctor told me I just want you to understand your baby won’t survive this. So, she is truly a miracle. She was weighing and measuring in the less than first percentile,” said Stevens.

Stevens said Sylvie came out fighting and continues defying the odds every day.

“We kept hearing them say her heartbeat and it was going up. Just every single time they would say a number, it was getting higher. So, we knew then like this might be OK. She might make it,” said Stevens.

Stevens said Sylvie isn’t leaving Le Bonheur anytime soon. She currently has a grade four brain bleed, and hydrocephalus has set in. Stevens said the doctors need her to grow more.

For now, Stevens and her husband drive every other day from over an hour away in Hickory Flat, Mississippi, to be by Sylvie’s side.

“We do have a 5-year-old at home,” said Stevens. “This is when her brother got to meet her for the first time because he couldn’t meet her at the MED, but he could meet her at Le Bonheur, so he got to see her. He’s so excited. He said look mom, she’s as tiny as my hands.”

Stevens’ mother-in-law has set up a GoFundMe to help support baby Sylvie and the family.

So far, more than $9,000 has been raised.

Stevens said she’s beyond grateful and is praying and waiting for the day Sylvie gets to come home.

“She is very much a fighter, and she is here for a reason, and we know that and she’s proving it every single day,” said Stevens.

Stevens said she did finally get the chance to hold Sylvie recently. She said it was the medicine both she and Sylvie needed.