The moment Addy Smith and her family have long been waiting for finally arrived on Tuesday, April 5, with the miracle baby leaving Rady Children's Hospital after spending 848 days in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
According to NBC San Diego, Smith was born prematurely and faced numerous health issues, including chronic lung disease. Dr. Jeanne Carroll of Rady Children's Hospital said that Addy's case was one of the most complex of any pre-term baby she had ever taken care of.
Carroll said they struggled to help support Addy as she had very critically ill lungs. She never gave up, though, with Carroll stating that Addy and her parents persevered during their more than two-year stay in the hospital. That proved to be the difference, with doctors eventually finding a way to help Addy get home at last.
Miracle baby Addy Smith faced setbacks during hospital stay
Addy's miraculous recovery would not be possible without the support of her parents, Chris and Alesha Smith, who have been by her side since Day 1. Chris said, "You know, we are so blessed. Eight hundred and forty-eight days is unfathomable. You know, she's been through so much, you know, more than 99.9 percent of people that live."
The road to recovery was not easy, with Addy facing numerous setbacks, but she overcame every one of them. Her mom Alesha recalled those setbacks in an interview, saying, "To be honest, the talk of going home happened a few times, and almost every time after that 'home' word came up, something always happened to her, literally the next day, so we were always kind of holding our breath."
CBS8 reported that friends, family, and hospital staff all gathered outside the hospital to celebrate the end of Addy's very extended stay there and watch the beginning of her new journey in the outside world. Many people believe that Addy will become an inspiration to others.
Doctors pay tribute to Addy, saying she is a fighter
Family friend Rocio Bunker said that she thinks Addy will grow up to be a fantastic human and that she can see her giving Ted talks at some point about how her journey was.
Addy's doctors acknowledge there will still be challenges ahead for her, but they are confident that the now two-year-old toddler will clear every hurdle that will come her way. Carroll said that the miracle baby still has ongoing medical needs, but she is a fighter, and she is gaining new skills every week.
Carroll added that Addy is still developing and that she surprises the doctors and her parents, Chris and Alesha, with the things she has been able to achieve already. Carroll said they remain very hopeful that she will continue to work on these developmental skills. According to 10News, Smith's family has set up a GoFundMe page to help contribute to Abby's ongoing recovery.
