Lucy

Born at 23 weeks, 1 pound 3 ½ ounces, with eyes fused shut and appearing lifeless, Lucy Larios had the odds stacked against her. 

“She was so sick when she was born,” said Dr. Kajori Thusu, a neonatologist in the Regional Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Children’s Hospital. “She had undeveloped lungs, a 6.9 pH level incompatible with life, and was unresponsive. Most babies this premature don’t make it, and those who do usually have major problems for life.”

But Lucy’s story would have a different ending. 

It began when Lucy’s mother, Ashley, had an ultrasound at 21 weeks indicating her cervix could not hold the baby’s weight. Confined to bed rest at Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, Ashley’s water broke two weeks later, and Lucy was born. She was put on a respirator in the NICU at Saint Agnes, a satellite unit owned and staffed by Children’s Hospital.
 
“She couldn’t breathe on her own,” said Ashley, glancing at her husband, Scott, at their Fresno home. The couple was allowed to hold Lucy and counseled to prepare for the worst.

Generally, neonates born less than 23 weeks are not resuscitated and some major hospitals choose not to under 25 weeks, primarily because the preemies’ health is often seriously impaired.

But Lucy had other ideas - she started to move. Knowing this was unusual behavior, Dr. Vinod Bansal, the neonatologist from Children’s in charge of Lucy’s care, transferred her to Children’s Hospital after discussing the matter with Lucy’s family. “In situations like this, we take our cues from the baby,” said Dr. Bansal. “They tell us what to do.”
In that first 48 hours, the distraught parents prepared to say goodbye two more times when it seemed Lucy could not hang on. “We had three different pastors come through,” said Scott, an elementary school teacher and athletic coach. “Every time, Lucy would do something to show she wasn’t giving up.”
 
Children’s doctors weren’t giving up either. Lucy’s care continued at Children’s under the watchful eye of Dr. Thusu for nearly three and half months with no surgery. As she steadily gained weight, her lungs grew stronger.

“We received unbelievable support,” said Ashley, who was at Lucy’s bedside every day. “Dr. Thusu always kept us informed; the nurses were there every step of the way; everyone at Children’s was warm and welcoming.”

When the Larios’s brought Lucy home, she weighed 4 pounds, 4 ounces. Today, she is a healthy 3-year-old, with no major developmental issues. Ashley and Scott attribute Lucy’s success to excellent medical care, love and “thousands of prayers” from their family and church.

Lucy’s outcome could have been different. Drs. Thusu and Bansal agreed that deciding whether to resuscitate is the hardest part of their job. “You want to do everything you can but you don’t want to cause more pain, either,” said Dr. Thusu.

According to preterm birth outcome data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, a neonate with Lucy’s characteristics stood only a 7 percent chance of survival without severe impairment. “When I see how beautiful Lucy is now, I’m glad we did what we did,” said Dr. Bansal.

Ashley and Scott are grateful every day for their little girl whose story and determination have inspired so many people. “The name Lucy means ‘illuminating light’ – she’s our angel,” said Ashley, hugging her daughter.