A Celebration to remember

The first thing you notice about Snoh is her big, beautiful eyes framed with long eyelashes. Her eyes closely follow all the activity inside her Johns Hopkins All Children’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) room, and on this day, there’s a lot to observe. Her primary nurses clutch a pink cap and gown, and banners are draped all around Snoh’s hospital room reading, “We’re so proud of you” and “Congrats grad.” After 245 days, it’s time for Snoh to go home to see her nursery in Parrish, Florida, for the very first time. 

A Christmas Eve surprise

As soon as Jasmyne and her husband, Jeff, found out they were expecting a little girl, they decided on a name: Snoh. Their love song Find Someone Like You by the Swedish singer Snoh Aalegra has a special place in their heart. And the meaning of the name Snoh: beauty, peace and new beginnings.

Baby Snoh’s due date was in April, so when she arrived early at just 23 weeks' gestation on Christmas Eve, they knew her name was a perfect fit. “It’s like it was meant to be, and she was destined to come early,” Jasmyne said.

Jasmyne went into pre-term labor. She had a difficult pregnancy with fibroid deterioration, which occurs when a fibroid outgrows its blood supply. It often causes pain, nausea and bleeding in pregnant women and can lead to preterm birth. Jeff rushedJasmyneto a hospital in Sarasota where doctors discovered Snoh was breech (turned feet down instead of head down), and they performed an emergency C-section. Snoh was immediately put on a breathing tube and within three weeks, her medical team in Sarasota decided to transfer Snoh to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg for more specialized neonatal care. Johns Hopkins All Children’s has a Level IV NICU, the highest rating available.

Overcoming Challenges

When Snoh first arrived at Johns Hopkins All Children’s, she was only about 520 grams (1 pound, 2.3 ounces) and the size of a small potato. Snoh was maxed out on her respiratory support using a high frequency oscillator, which is a type of medical ventilator that delivers small, rapid breaths to a patient’s lungs. Doctors also performed cardiac piccolo surgery on Snoh, which uses heart catheterization to close a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in premature infants. As she recovered, Snoh caught multiple viruses, which led to pneumonia and intubation. “It took a full eight weeks or so before we could reduce the amount of oxygen she was receiving from the ventilator,” Emily Lafond, one of Snoh’s primary nurses explains. “Yet, once we were able to start weaning her off, she tolerated it, and she just did great. She didn't look back.”

Snoh’s care team was consistently impressed by her progress. “She's a fighter,” explains Sandra Brooks, M.D., a neonatology specialist. “She had a lot of odds stacked against her repeatedly. It was not just prematurity complications but the viruses too. It seemed like every time she would start to get better, there was something huge that pushed her 10 steps back, and she always, always rebounded. That made her such a standout in the NICU.”

“Snoh’s picture could be in the dictionary under grit and resilience,” adds Preceous S. Jensen, D.O., M.P.H., who also specializes in neonatology and cared for Snoh.

Jasmyne says she was grateful to have so many specialists in one hospital willing to jump in to assist her tiny daughter with any issue that arose. “In our eyes, that made a world of difference,” she says.

Growing and Thriving

As Snoh grew stronger, she quickly earned a new title as the unofficial “mayor” of the NICU at Johns Hopkins All Children’s, both for her tenure at the hospital and her infectious giggles, smiles and greetings.

Many days, doctors and nurses stopped by Snoh’s room to marvel at her progress. Once she was able to sit in a highchair, she often sat at the entrance to her room anxiously greeting any staff members who ventured by.

She took a fond liking to music therapist Hannah Keglovits and the music therapy program. Keglovits’extensive vocal range both comforted Snoh and encouraged her to coo and sing along. “A music therapist can start working with an infant as young as 30 weeks,” Keglovits says. “We noticed early with Snoh that music calmed her right down. At first, we used music as a cue to help her relax, but as time went on, she started almost singing with me. It's so special how her hard work and tough fight can create the most beautiful memories."

A Bittersweet Farewell

On the day of Snoh’s graduation from the NICU, tears streamed down the faces of her three primary nurses: Emily Lafond, Michelle Harper and Savannah Jordan. “She's come so far,” Lafond explains. “Usually, babies born at 23 weeks have multiple issues that kind of compound on each other, but she doesn't. Her brain is fine. Her heart is fine. We're still working with her lungs, but she’s progressed with flying colors. It's bittersweet to see her go home because we’ve all fallen in love with her. Yet, I know the best is yet to come. Snoh has an infectious, sunshine personality, and she’s going to live a beautiful life with the people who love her most.”

For the very first time, Snoh was buckled into her car seat. Jasmyne and Jeff were given instructions on how to use her oxygen tank at home and to ensure Snoh’s G-tube is kept clean. Doctors believe both her oxygen and G tube will eventually be removed as Snoh’s lungs grow stronger, and she starts eating solid foods.

Soon, the pathway out of the NICU was filled with dozens of nurses, doctors, lactation consultants and clinical staff, all of whom played a role in Snoh’s 245-day stay. They clutched brightly colored blue, purple and pink pom poms. “Thank you so much,” Jasmyne exclaims with tears in her eyes as they reach the NICU exit.

As Snoh’s nurses buckled her into the family’s car and said their last goodbyes, Jasmyne and Jeff tightly hugged the three primary nurses who loved their daughter as their own. “I love you,” Jasmyne says to all three, choking back tears.

Improved NICU Outcomes

In the NICU where Snoh spent more than eight months, she was joined by several other babies born in similar early fashion, around 22-24 weeks gestation. Doctors say neonatology has changed drastically in the past few years, leading to some incredible outcomes for even the most premature babies. Johns Hopkins All Children’s NICU carries a Level IV rating, indicating the most advanced care available.

“It’s amazing,” Brooks says. “I’ve been practicing neonatology for a long time. Years ago, babies that were born at 22, 23 and 24 weeks really were at the edge of viability. They may or may not have gone home and would have been very sick if they survived. Now, we're seeing many of those babies thriving.”

Jensen agrees. “I think we learn from every experience that we have with these very premature babies. First, we need to believe that they can survive and thrive and with every single baby, I think we do get better and not just in our NICU but in the field of neonatology. We're really pushing the boundaries.”

Jasmyne and Jeff couldn’t be more thankful for the love and care their daughter received. “God is good,” Jasmyne says. “Snoh is literally a miracle, and her care team are miracle workers.”