Miracle Baby Beats The Odds At Baptist Children's Hospital

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Miracles come in all shapes and sizes.

For one South Florida couple, their tiny miracle of life came into the world in a precarious state.

On August 12, Jaksiri Ruiz-Toledo, who was just 26 weeks pregnant, gave birth at Baptist Children's Hospital. Doctors say it was a complicated pregnancy and Jaksiri gave birth 14 weeks sooner than expected. Her daughter Lailie weighed just 13 ounces, a little more than a can of soda.

"My wife's wedding ring fit on her entire hand," said Jaksiri's husband Marcos. "She was so small, I hoped but I really didn't know if she was gonna make it through the first day."

Lailie was put under the attentive care of the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) which fed her and nursed her along for the last four months. She presented a supersized challenge for such a tiny thing.

"Babies under 400 grams or under about 14 ounces very rarely survive at any hospital, said Dr. Andrew Kairalla, chief of pediatrics & medical director of the NICU.

He said Lailie is one of the hospital's tiniest babies to beat all odds.

Each day, week, and month little Lailie grew healthier and stronger.

"This is our miracle baby," said Jaksiri.

"She's been through a lot but she's a fighter, she's still here," said Marcos.

On Friday, Jaksiri and Marcos were allowed to take their Lailie, who now weighs 5.1 pounds, home just in time to celebrate the new year.

"Now holding her like this, from the tiny thing that I couldn't even feel in my chest is an amazing feeling, I cannot describe it," said Jaksiri.

"This is gonna be the best New Year that we're gonna have," she added.

Although doctors say Lailie faced typical complications associated with prematurity like lung development and she continues to have intestinal issues, her prognosis is very good.