Baby heads home after 150 days in NICU; Milwaukee family shares story

Milwaukee baby heads home after 150 days in NICU

A Milwaukee family brought their baby home after nearly 150 days in the NICU, after Serenity was born at 24 weeks weighing one pound, two ounces and beating the odds.

MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee family is celebrating a major milestone after their premature baby, born at just 24 weeks, finally went home after months in the hospital.

What we know:

Parents Samantha Lanier and Mike Moore rushed to the hospital after complications began in late October.

"Come Oct. 28, I was at work when my water broke," said Samantha Lanier, the mother. "When we got here, they were like, ‘Yes, there was premature rupture.’ After that was a big blur. There were so many doctors in the room and everything was happening so fast."

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Baby Serenity was born at 2:17 a.m. on Oct. 31 at Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital, weighing just one pound, two ounces.

"She went through her own little trials with her fevers, I think we went through that twice now. Two times in a row," Lanier said.

Serenity spent the first five months of her life in the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU.

What they're saying:

NICU nurse Jodi Marcus cared for Serenity throughout her stay.

"It is very up and down. It’s two steps forward, one step back," she said. "And as she grows and gets bigger, that gets better."

Doctors say babies born at 24 weeks face significant challenges, with a mortality rate of about 40% as organs like the lungs, heart and brain continue developing.

"When she was born, she was very, very, tiny, very early, and had a lot – needed a breathing tube, needed help breathing, she needed a lot of support," Marcus said. "Trust that – everything – it is going to work out."

After nearly 150 days in the NICU, Serenity’s lungs improved and she gained weight.

"[She is] our biggest, biggest blessing," Lanier said. "She is a warrior for sure."

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Serenity graduated from the NICU and finally went home in March.

Big picture view:

NICU nurses say moments like this — seeing a baby beat the odds — make the hard days brighter. That is one reason Sam and Mike wanted to share their story.

"So that other premature moms and dads know that there is hope for these little guys," Lanier said. "They are stronger than we think."

Serenity’s story is living proof that the smallest fighters can leave the biggest mark.