Abby Connolly
Parents who have had babies stay in the neonatal intensive care unit or NICU after being born know how difficult it can be, as not being able to take your baby home right away is a hard pill to swallow.
But can you imagine your baby spending 548 days in the NICU? Jagger Nathan, an 18-month-old from Nebraska, recently spent that long in the NICU due to some setbacks after his birth but was finally able to go home.
Jagger was born to parents Justin and Torie Nathan on April 9th, 2022, and was immediately sent to the pediatric hospital, Children’s Nebraska, in Omaha. While pregnant with Jagger, Torie wasn’t told there were any complications.
But after her water surprisingly broke while 31 weeks pregnant, she was rushed to the emergency room where, via ultrasound, she and Justin found out Jagger had congenital heart disease. Upon arriving at Children’s Nebraska, Jagger went through a series of genetic tests, and doctors discovered he had CHARGE Syndrome.
CHARGE Syndrome is a disorder that can affect several areas of the body and can cause birth defects, as well as problems with the heart, esophagus, etc.
Jagger’s syndrome can cause a variety of physical issues, but the Nathans were under the impression that he would only be in the NICU at Children’s Nebraska for six to eight weeks.
However, he ended up staying for 548 days. Doctors were immediately concerned with Jagger’s heart issues, including a problem with his food and windpipes.
He had a hole in his heart, the left side was underdeveloped, and the pathway that allowed blood to flow from his heart to his body was small.
Jagger was quickly put on a breathing machine and given medications, and at first, doctors thought his chance of survival was very low.
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