15-Ounce Micro-Preemie Born the Size of a Smartphone, See Him Now 2 Years Later
Some pretty amazing things can come in small packages. Just ask Amari Jones and his proud mom, Rodericka Moore.
Back in 2016, little Amari made headlines at the tender age of only eight months old. He’d been born four months early, as a tiny micro-preemie.
That means that at the time of his birth, he weighed less than a pound. Specifically, Amari weighed just 15 ounces — roughly the size of the average smartphone; able to fit in the palm of your hand.
It’s amazing to think any human that tiny could somehow press on and survive his introduction to the world, much less thrive. But that’s exactly what he did.
Moore, who resides in the Piedmont-Triad area of North Carolina, was as fraught with worry as any loving parent might be when her son was first born.
Her wee son spent his early days hooked up to a complex tangle of breathing tubes around the clock, curled behind protective glass at the Forsyth Medical Center NICU in Winston-Salem.
“I was there during the daytime, daddy was there at night,” Moore told news outlets recently. “Amari was just lying there,” she recalled, describing his vulnerable-looking little form.
But these days, that brave little guy is up and around in a major way. He’s a vibrant, thriving toddler who’s active, smiling, playful, curious, and full of high spirits.
“He won’t stay still until he sleeps,” Moore reports, enthusiastically noting that her sweet boy turns two on Feb. 25.
It’s certainly cause for celebration, given the fact that Amari’s early prognosis was fairly uncertain. Altogether, he spent a total of 120 grueling days in the NICU, enduring multiple surgeries and treatments along the way.
Amari’s dad, Andre Jones, is ecstatic to see his son doing so well. “We’re very excited, after everything that we’ve been through,” he told media outlets.
These days, let’s just say the courageous little fighter has moved up rather impressively in weight class. Currently, his mother reports that he’s nearly 20 pounds.
That may still be slightly underweight for his age, but according to Moore, you’d surely never know it from Amari’s energy level.
“I think some days now that he’s older, I’m more scared now — because now he can hurt himself, because he likes to climb and fall,” she said.
But she’s also quick to emphasize her boundless gratitude and joy. Things might be a bit different now, she says appreciatively, but “it’s a great different — I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
It looks like this family will have many more years of fun and love, and we’re sure Amari’s not done surprising people just yet!
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