TYLER, Texas — A tiny miracle left UT Health East Texas on Friday as Baby Addisyn, born weighing just 15 ounces, was discharged after a six-month stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). She is the smallest baby ever treated at the hospital.
Mother Labreshia Howard recalled the shock of her 24-week checkup, shortly after a gender reveal, when doctors could not detect the baby’s heartbeat and noted that Addisyn was not measuring normally. Howard was admitted to the hospital in hopes of prolonging the pregnancy, but doctors delivered her daughter three days later.
At birth, Addisyn weighed less than a can of Coke, according to NICU Clinical Manager Bonnie Bearden. She required round-the-clock care, including ventilator support, feeding tubes, and specialized IV lines for nutrients. Despite challenges with feeding, development, and respiratory support, Addisyn steadily grew stronger.
“Seeing her every day was one of those amazing things where you got to see her milestones, almost like your own child,” said Marcie Tunstall, Director of Nursing for Women’s and Children’s Services, praising the hospital staff and advanced technology for supporting Addisyn’s care.
Howard described the experience as emotionally taxing but emphasized patience and faith as keys to her daughter’s survival. The hospital celebrated Addisyn’s discharge with a parade from the NICU to the exit, a gesture that moved Howard.
“She’s a little fighter,” Howard said. Nurses added that families with babies in the NICU are also “world champions” in their own battles.