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Thousands of students in the Kansas City area are headed back to school this week, including 7-year-old Ellie Schneider.
Ellie is Saint Luke’s youngest surviving NICU baby. She was born prematurely on June 27, 2017, at just 21 weeks and six days.
During the six months she spent at the NICU, she had a PICC line, was on oxygen and had several eye procedures.
“I got told multiple times ... this one was not going to make it or was already dead, and so those months probably were the hardest of my life,” said Robin Schneider, Ellie’s mom.
But Ellie was a fighter.
Her family said she was nearly dropped when she was born because she took her little fist and swung at the doctor.
“It was really hard, but I was actually proud of myself for being really good, to be growing,” Ellie said.
After defying the odds, Ellie is headed to second grade this year.
Her favorite subject in school is math, she hopes to become a spy when she grows up, and she said she is most excited to meet her new teacher and friends.
“I just honestly can’t believe that I’m blessed with the opportunity to be this girl’s mom," Robin Schneider said. "The one thing that I know is that no one is going to tell her how to live her life or what she should do. This little girl knows what she wants, and for the most part, you just kind of have to go along with it.”
Ellie's family says she would not be here without the Saint Luke’s staff taking a chance.
The hospital launched the ELGAN (Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn) program in 2017.
ELGAN is a dedicated group of nurses and doctors that caters to babies born under 29 weeks. The program is life-changing as many hospitals across the U.S. do not have the resources to help when babies are born so early.
“What’s special about our ELGAN program is that those nurses take care of that baby only for the first several days of their life, so they can learn their little minute changes and things they like, things they don’t like,” said Mindy Smith, who was Ellie’s primary NICU nurse.
Smith said premature babies require a lot of attention, especially for respiratory and dietary needs.
Having cared for Ellie since birth, watching her go off to second grade is emotional for Smith.
“Secretly, I hope that she becomes a NICU nurse," she said. "I just hope that she grows up and gets to do what she loves and experience the life that her parents fought so hard for and that the nursing staff here fought so hard to give her."
The Schneiders hope families and NICU units across the country keep faith that miracles like Ellie's are possible.
“I just want to say that there is hope — that people have made progress," Robin Schneider said. "And that hospitals like this, even if it comes to the worst, they are still there for you."
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