“She was pale for a couple days. She didn’t even get to hold them for a day and a half.”
Doctors were unsure what the days ahead would hold after Aurora Britton arrived via emergency C-section at just 27 weeks pregnant. Born weighing only 2 pounds, 10 ounces, the now 7-month-old defied early expectations with a recovery that surprised even her medical team.
Aurora’s mother, Casey Britton, underwent a cesarean delivery only two weeks after being diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia, according to People. “She was born extremely preterm,” the new mom told the outlet, recalling how quickly circumstances changed once her condition worsened.
From the moment she was born, Aurora required intensive medical care. “She had the ventilator. She was intubated, she was on a CPAP machine. She had blood transfusions,” Britton told People. “You name it, she had it.” At the time, doctors warned that her chances of survival were estimated at just 70 to 80 percent.
The emotional toll was overwhelming, especially during the early days when the mother and her daughter were separated. “It was so hard because she was separated from me,” Britton shared. “We were faced with, ‘Is she even gonna make it through today? Is she going to make it through tomorrow?’”
Two months after her birth, Aurora was transferred to OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital’s Special Care Nursery, where she remained for an additional 10 days. It was there that Casey began to see a remarkable shift in her daughter’s progress.
“She started thriving within days of being here,” she told The Richland Source. “Starting to eat more, needing less oxygen, needing less feeding tube. It was just amazing to see.”
Being closer to the hospital allowed Britton to spend more time by her daughter’s side, and even was able to stay overnight in the unit. “[The nurses] had to force me [to leave],” she said. “They’re like, ‘Go home and sleep in your own bed for a couple hours. She’ll be OK.’”
Reflecting on the experience, Britton admitted that accepting help didn’t come easily. “As somebody who’s always used to helping everybody else, it was so difficult to try to accept the help when I needed it,” she said. “But that’s what the village is for.”
