Alyssa Sprague was 26 weeks pregnant when she was admitted to Northside Hospital Cherokee.
She had unconfirmed symptoms of preeclampsia that later were determined to be the result of a genetic blood clotting disorder. But at 4 a.m. April 2, 2022, her water broke.
“By 4:15 p.m., Addi was here,” Sprague recalled.
Adelaide Lynn, who goes by Addi, weighed 2 pounds and measured 13 inches at birth. She was born at 27 weeks, 4 days, of gestation.
Addi had underdeveloped lungs due to clotting, and she was diagnosed with bronchopulmonary dysplasia and chronic lung disease dysplasia and chronic lung disease during what turned out to be a 124-day stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Northside Cherokee.
“She was tiny but a fighter,” Sprague said, “and came home on oxygen and a feeding tube in early August.
“As of December, she was both tube- and oxygen-free! Specialists expected her to be on oxygen until she was 18-24 months old, but she has overachieved and is doing great without it.”
Addi recently celebrated her first birthday at home in Ball Ground, Georgia, with her parents, Alyssa and Daniel Sprague. Her grandparents are Wendy and Robert Deaton of Canton, Georgia, and Paula and Steve Sprague of Gilbert, Arizona.
The birthday girl is “thriving,” Alyssa Sprague said. “She is the happiest baby ever and never fails to make everyone in the room smile.”
Sprague said the nurses and staff at Northside Cherokee made sure to keep her and her husband informed throughout the birthing process.
“We met the neonatologist the morning before Addi was born, and Dr. Sarita Patel was amazing in every aspect of the word in preparing us for what to expect,” Sprague said.
Dr. Alyssa Liguori of North Georgia OB/GYN Specialists was the obstetrician.
“We are forever grateful to the remarkable NICU staff, along with the labor and delivery nurses who cared for me and Adelaide. You can tell the NICU team genuinely cares about every baby that comes through their doors, and the education we received to be able to bring Addi home with equipment was nothing short of incredible.
“We will never forget the people who helped bring our beautiful rainbow baby home.”
Sprague’s advice to her fellow new moms is, “Give yourself and your baby grace. Being a new parent is incredibly life-changing, and the days are not always easy.
“At the end of the day, it is so important to remember that YOU are the best parent for your child and no one can replace YOU. Every day, even every hour, is a new adventure filled with unmatchable love and joy.”
