A New York baby boy has been able to go home for the first time in nearly two years.
Nathaniel was released from Blythedale Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, New York on August 20 after 419 days in the hospital.
After spending the first two years of his life in the hospital, Nathaniel was able to be released from Blythedale Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, New York. He returned home with his parents, Sandia and Jorge Flores, on August 20, 2024.
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Doctors, nurses and staff lined up to applaud Nathaniel as he left the building with his mother and father, Sandia and Jorge Flores. To celebrate the milestone, Sandia Flores rang a gold bell and walked down the hospital hallway one last time with her parents.
Nathaniel and his twin brother, Christian, were born at 26 weeks gestation at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital in Stony Brook, New York, on October 28, 2022, but Christian died three days after birth. Nathaniel was then transferred to Blythedale Children’s Hospital on June 28, 2023.
Sandia Flores told “Good Morning America” that she and her husband turned to IVF to start their family. The couple learned they were pregnant with twins, but at 17 weeks pregnant, doctors noticed the twins were slowing growing and began closely monitoring her and the babies, Sandia Flores said.
Sandia Flores said by the 26th week of her pregnancy, doctors told her the twins would need to be delivered early by Caesarean section.
“He was born at 385 grams, or just under a pound, at 26 weeks gestation, so his main issue, and he still has it, is that his lungs are immature,” Sandia Flores explained to GMA.
The Flores worked closely with Nathaniel’s doctors and medical team to help him overcome his challenges.
Nathaniel smiles in this photo taken during his final week at Blythedale Children’s Hospital.
Courtesy of Blythedale Children’s Hospital
“We just had to let him grow, so we spent months fine-tuning his feeding schedule, different vitamins, what he needed to grow his lungs,” Sandia Flores recalled.
Among the surgeries and treatments Nathaniel needed were the insertion of a tracheostomy tube and an endotracheal tube to help him breathe, as well as a gastrostomy tube for nutrition, his parents said.
As time went on, Nathaniel grew and received more care and different therapies at Blythedale Children’s, including speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy. But the Flores also received customized training at Blythedale Children’s, learning how to use Nathaniel’s equipment, how to clean and how to respond to emergencies and accidents at home.
While Nathaniel was in the hospital, his mother, Sandia Flores, kept a scrapbook filled with photos and milestones from his life.
Courtesy of Sandia Flores
“It teaches you to be prepared for any situation and to be comfortable with your baby in any situation, but it’s all done in stages,” Sandia Flores says. “It’s not something you can just pick up a book and do.”
Dr. Dennis Davidson, attending neonatologist at Blythedale Children’s Hospital, was one of Nathaniel’s doctors.
“Nathaniel made remarkable progress while at Blythedale,” Davidson said in a statement to “GMA.” “In order to safely return home, we needed to ensure his parents understood how to care for every aspect of his complex care. While Nathaniel was hospitalized at Blythedale, dedicated nurse educators worked with his family on every aspect of his care through our innovative parent and family education program. This way, if there were any gaps in his nursing care at home, his parents would be prepared to respond to any emergency situations because they were trained in a variety of scenarios. We have such confidence in Sandia and Jorge and are so happy that Nathaniel is finally home.”
The Flores family posed for a smiling photo after 2-year-old Nathaniel was released from Blythedale Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, New York.
Courtesy of Sandia Flores
Despite all the hardships, challenges and uncertainty over the past 22 months, the Flores said they are incredibly grateful to have Nathaniel by their side.
“Every hospital we were in, there were a lot of tears, but he was also a joy,” Sandia Flores said. “Even in the worst moments, there were good ones and we’re so grateful for him.”
Nathaniel is seen smiling alongside his father, Jorge Flores.
Courtesy of Sandia Flores
“When we go to the hospital and see him, and he looks at us and smiles and just is himself, it’s like, ‘No, this is not bad. He’s OK,’ and that gives us courage,” Jorge Flores added.
The Flores call Nathaniel their “miracle baby,” and it’s clear from the moment he steps into their home that he’s “full of energy and energy.”
“Everybody was worried, us included, that he was going to get in the car because it was his first time in a car and he was going to get anxious and scared when he got home. But that didn’t happen. He walked home like he lived here,” Sandia Flores said.
The new parents said that by shedding light on their beloved son’s story, they hope to give hope to other parents facing newborn babies in the hospital.
“If you’re in this situation, it’s OK,” Sandia Flores said. “There are people who will help you. There is support. You will get through this. It’s not the end of the world.”
