The Compass Spring 2021 | Page 4

Nearly $ 940,000 will help the Tiniest Texans program expand its impact .
PROGRAMS

The Crystal Charity Ball Delivers Big Win for Tiniest Texans

Nearly $ 940,000 will help the Tiniest Texans program expand its impact .

hen Katy Nevarez went into premature labor last year , she was worried about her young son like any mother would be — she had previously lost a baby at 23 weeks and four days gestation , the exact gestational age of her son — and she knew the difficult road they had ahead .
Full-term infants are born at 40 weeks gestation , and just 10 years ago , infants born earlier than 25 weeks would not typically survive . Now , babies born as early as 22 weeks can survive and thrive if they are born in hospitals that are equipped to care for them . Thankfully , Katy was in such a place this time .
On February 26 , 2020 , weighing 1 pound , 8 ounces , Gabriel Nevarez was born . However , as a micro-preemie and
one of Baylor Scott & White Health ’ s Tiniest Texans , he had many obstacles to overcome during his next 186 days in the hospital before he could go home with his parents and three older brothers .
Micro-preemies , babies born at less than 28 weeks or weighing less than
1,000 grams , are at higher risk for a multitude of complications such as brain bleeds , improper eye development , developmental delays and chronic lung disease .
“ The care micropreemies receive in their first hours , weeks and months can determine their quality of life for years to come ,” said Kayla Carey , RN , clinical manager of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas .
“ We ’ re talking about a child ’ s ability to see , whether they will be able to walk or whether they will be singing their
ABCs at kindergarten .” To better serve and care for these extremely premature babies , Baylor Dallas established a unique program within its Level IV neonatal intensive care unit in 2019 and commonly refers to these special patients as its “ Tiniest Texans .” With an intentionally designed and equipped 10-bed space and a highly trained care team , the program is designed not only to save lives , but also to decrease developmental and physical disabilities that could affect a child for a lifetime .
And , thanks to the Crystal Charity Ball , the Tiniest Texans program will be able to expand its impact and provide this highly advanced equipment and care to more micro-preemies in its Baylor Dallas NICU . In February , Crystal Charity Ball announced that the Tiniest Texans program had been selected as a 2021 beneficiary of nearly $ 940,000
To better serve and care for extremely premature babies like Gabriel , Baylor Dallas established the Tiniest Texans Program in 2019 within its Level IV neonatal intensive care unit . The Crystal Charity Ball ’ s generous gift will help children like Gabriel flourish for years to come .
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THE COMPASS / BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE DALLAS FOUNDATION NEWS / SPRING 2021