4 minute read
The Tiniest Warrior
by Jean Eisenmann | new born photo courtesy of Javier Pedroche, baby in onesie photo courtesy of Kyra Minnis, photo of family courtesy of Kay Simpkins
There’s no denying that Nikolas Javier Pedroche is an adorable baby boy. His smile can melt your heart unless those big eyes grab you first. He’s a happy, growing child, and this month he turned a year old. Nikolas also happens to be a miracle baby.
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At 8:05 a.m. on March 9th, 2020, Nikolas was brought into the world and the lives of his parents, Kyra Minnis and Javier Pedroche. He was a breech baby, born at 24 weeks. Just 12-inches long, he only weighed 1 lb. 14 oz.
“When we first saw him, Nikolas was covered in cords, hooked up to a breathing tube, chest tube, feeding tube, and an IV,” Kyra said. His daily struggle to live had begun.
The newborn was stable for five days, then began another struggle. Doctors discovered bile in his stomach and gave him a 20% chance to live. Emergency surgery revealed NEC, an intestinal disease among premature babies. Translated, tiny Nikolas had a hole in his intestine that was spilling waste into his stomach. Ultimately, he had four surgeries to combat the NEC and was in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for 151 days. The long ordeal didn’t result in any permanent intestinal damage, so his parents hoped the nightmare would be over.
While in the hospital, his health issues continued. He developed a staph infection in his right eye, causing him to code (to stop breathing with no pulse) several times.
“His eye swelled so badly that it caused a lack of blood flow to his brain, and he had a stroke,” Kyra explained.
Nikolas finally left the hospital’s NICU unit on August 7th, and for the first time since his March birth, the little one went home.
But his journey wasn’t over quite yet. Adversity struck again the following month when he began having infantile spasms, a complex seizure disorder which, to this day, has left Nikolas unable to roll over or sit up on his own.
Fast forward to the present time, and you’ll find that his health remains compromised. The right side of his brain has completely died, which affects the left side of his body. Consequently, he doesn’t use his left arm at all and leaves it at his side, though his left leg functions normally. To aid in his overall mobility, Nikolas is currently undergoing physical therapy. Then, there’s speech therapy to assist him with learning to eat. And the little tyke soon will begin occupational therapy to focus on that left arm and hand.
Nikolas has endured two more stays in the hospital since being brought home on that August day. Sadly, his current medications for the seizures haven’t been effective, so doctors plan to start him on a ketogenic diet that in medicine is used to treat hard-to-control epilepsy in children. This, too, will necessitate another hospital stay for the boy, this time for one week, to monitor his blood
sugar levels and watch for negative side effects.
Developmentally, Nikolas is equal to a 7-month-old child. He isn’t in any pain, and as yet, no prognosis has been made for any permanent disabilities in the future.
“He’s the happiest, most amazing baby,” Kyra said through her smile. “He sleeps through the night and never cries. He loves to lie on mama’s chest or be carried in daddy’s arms.”
Even COVID-19 couldn’t keep this little fighter down. Yes, he contracted it, but thankfully he was only congested for a couple of days.
This extraordinary child is happy, despite his many obstacles and limitations. His parents have the support of their respective large families, so Nikolas is loved – and spoiled – by two sets of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and every living soul who has ever met him. On March 9th, the birthday boy’s party had a football theme…1st down!
When choosing a name for him, Kyra and Javier simply liked the name Nikolas but later learned it meant “victory” (of the people). True to his name, Nikolas has been the victor over adversity every time it strikes. His parents ask for your prayers that this miracle baby continues to fight for those victories.
The illnesses this little warrior has endured are not hereditary, and someday Nikolas will be sharing his parents with a little brother or sister. In fact, by the end of August, there will be a new addition to this resilient family!
