Child born at 24 weeks gestation now a healthy, happy toddler
Camilla Gray, pictured second from left, was born at 24 weeks gestation and has defied the odds. She is pictured here in her home town in Volusia County, FL with her mother, Lindsay, younger sister, Delaney, and her grandmother, Chris Curp.
VOLUSIA COUNTY, FL – Camilla Gray, affectionately known as “Bean” ever since she was conceived, is just a normal two year old toddler who loves Frozen, Toy Story, baby dolls, and fighting with her younger sister, Delaney. But Camilla started her life much too early when she was born only 24 weeks into gestation, weighing one pound, five ounces.
Lindsay Gray, Camilla’s mother and a 2006 graduate of Coshocton High School, came home to Coshocton for her baby shower when she went into premature labor and was flown from Coshocton Hospital to Columbus Nationwide Children’s Hospital where she gave birth to a child who was fighting for her life before taking her first breath. But over the past two years, Camilla has defied the odds and has proven to medical professionals and her family that she is a fighter.
“It’s a fabulous story because we thought she would never make it,” said Chris Curp, Camilla’s grandmother who lives in Coshocton. “Everyone knows that when the doctor comes into your room at Nationwide, it’s bad. He came in and shut the door, so we knew it was really bad. He told us that whatever a baby could have wrong with it, Camilla had.”
In addition to being born a micro-preemie and given only a 39 percent chance to live, Camilla’s left lung was collapsed, she had a hole in her heart, her guts were black and showed no sign of functioning, and she was septic. She has suffered many infections and has undergone two surgeries. She was also on a feeding tube for four months and had three battles with necrotizing entercolitis, a condition where the intestines become infected and begin to die.
“We would go over to Columbus two to three days a week and just sit and watch her,” said Curp. “We would get to hold her on our chest all day, and that was the best thing in the world.”
Six months after her birth, Camilla got to go home to Florida with her family, just in time for Christmas. Even though she has mild cerebral palsy, she can now crawl and walk with assistance.
“They said she’ll always have to have assistance with walking, but we don’t think so,” said Curp. “We think she’ll beat that. She’s already doing so many things the doctors said she’d never do.”
On May 2, Curp and her husband traveled to Florida to walk in the Volusia County’s March of Dimes walk were Camilla walked, with the assistance of her walker and family, in Ambassador Alley, and was awarded a cape from March of Dimes, which she proudly wore for the next two days. Lindsay and her family raised more than $2,800 for March of Dimes and she was named top adult fundraiser in the county.
“We’re ecstatic,” said Curp. “To see her now, it’s a miracle. She is our miracle child. We’re just so proud of Camilla and Lindsay is a great mom.”
Curp would like to thank the many people who donated to March of Dimes including Buehler’s Foods, Coshocton Moose, Susie Mann, Michelle Huff, Coshocton Hospital, and the Coshocton Class of 1979.
beth@coshoctoncountybeacon.com
Category: People & Places
omg!! you NAILED it,, Thank you soooo much for printing this
I no a friend who went thru the same thing they went had a lil boy at 24 wks n 3 days n Aug 19 the he will b 2 I'm so proud nationwide is equiped to handled this situation we're all so proud of this lil guy for going thru all the struggles he had to go thru