By Madi Blake
Mommy to Theo
micro preemie born at 25 weeks
October 2023
Theophilus (Theo) was born at just 25 weeks—a true micro preemie. It all happened so fast—it was crazy, unexpected, and all of a sudden. At 24 weeks, I was hospitalized and put on bedrest for severe preeclampsia. I hadn’t been considered high-risk or anything, so the plan was to stay on bedrest for at least a month. But just four days later, I had to have an emergency c-section.
I just expected to have a standard pregnancy. But it was far from standard when it got cut short. We didn’t get to do maternity photos, a baby shower, or the 3D ultrasound we had planned. At 24 weeks, everything changed—and we still had no idea Theo would need to be delivered so quickly. There were so many unknowns. To be honest, there still are.
I never expected to have an emergency c-section. We were monitoring the baby when the doctor came in and said, “You need to call your husband—we need to deliver your baby right now.” I had actually planned to deliver in the low-intervention room and was hoping for a natural birth. But now, because of the classical c-section, I’ll have to deliver by c-section every time. I can’t go past 36–37 weeks in future pregnancies. It’s crazy to think I’ll never be 40 weeks pregnant or have a natural birth.
Theo spent 7 months in the NICU before being discharged with oxygen and a g-tube for feeding. He had grade 4 bilateral brain bleeds, severe BPD lung disease, ROP eye disease, PDA and PFO heart defects, and more. Recently, he was also diagnosed with infantile spasms, after first being diagnosed with focal epilepsy.
How has this impacted us? Honestly, it might be easier to ask how it hasn’t impacted us.
My husband and I are small business owners, but I’m no longer part of the day-to-day operations. Theo has 6-7 appointments a week at home, and monthly appointments in Kansas City. I need to be with Theo while my husband runs the business.
Theo is now a big two-year-old and loves to experience all the new things! His seizures have been under control for over a year now, which has allowed him to start progressing developmentally. He is sitting on his own and currently learning to stand and put weight through his legs.
We are extremely proud of his determination and joyful spirit in all the hard work! He is still on oxygen, and we continue to give his lungs time to grow stronger. We’re also working weekly on eating by mouth. As it stands, Theo is fully g-tube dependent, but he still shows an interest in food — he just needs to learn the skill of eating and swallowing efficiently.
He was officially diagnosed with cerebral palsy, but to us, CP will never define Theo or put limits on what he can or can’t do. Already, he’s doing more than the doctors ever said would be possible, and we know that the Lord has the final say — He has done so many miracles in Theo’s life.
For Theo, milestones come much differently than for a typical child. He didn’t get the privilege of having a natural reflex to learn new skills. Every single thing he learns takes hours of therapy and at-home work — learning every step of basic daily life skills. It’s fascinating to watch all the hard work come together and see just how far he has come.
I just want to give Theo the best life we possibly can. We are so grateful for Theo’s incredible team of therapists, doctors, and medical professionals who believe in our boy and continue to teach us so much.
Looking toward the future, our hope is for Theo to gain more independence — something he’s already showing a strong desire for as a two-year-old. He recently got his own wheelchair and is learning how to self-propel, which will be an awesome tool for him!
I believe Theo will walk one day — in his own time — and that’s okay. We want to show him as much of the world as we can. Right now, his oxygen needs limit us a little, but we’re starting to get out more and more.
So far, Theo has loved camping, visiting Silver Dollar City, spending time outside, and being around people. He loves a good party!
The pictures On Angels’ Wings has provided us mean everything. And each time, they’ve represented something different.
The first session—we didn’t even know if we’d get another. Theo was just a week old and incredibly sick. I hadn’t even been able to hold him yet. Those photos were so special. The second session felt like a celebration of his progress in a new hospital—the one that became his home for over six months. And the last shoot… it was joy. It was home. It was the first time we got to celebrate being home together as a family. And we had the same photographer for each shoot, so she got to see his transformation with her own eyes.
To a family like ours, I would say: schedule a shoot as soon as possible. It is so important to celebrate the big and the small moments—and to capture them together as a family. We are not promised tomorrow.