ALMOST HOME An unlikely delivery

Posted on 11/27/2015

A baby born prematurely on a cruise ship this summer was reunited with his family after spending the first 78 days of his life in a hospital in Miami. The baby has been transferred to a hospital in Utah where he can be near family until he is strong and healthy enough to go home.

Emily and Chase Morgan and their daughter Chloe were on a Royal Caribbean cruise in August. The couple was expecting their second child in December, and their doctor had given them the go-ahead to travel. On the second night of the cruise Morgan went into labour. The ship was 100 miles (14 hours) away from a hospital. Morgan delivered her premature baby and was told that she had miscarried. She was denied seeing the baby they named Haiden. Within 45 minutes the couple was told that the baby had in fact survived and the ship was going to head straight to Puerto Rico, which had the closest hospital.

Upon arrival the baby was flown to Children’s Hospital in Miami. Following the plight of the family was the team from AirMed, which is part of University of Utah Health Care. They arranged to fly Haiden to McKay Dee Hospital so he can be close to home. Last Saturday the medical team flew the infant from Miami to Ogden-Hinckley Airport for a reunion with mom, dad and big sister Chloe, outside the hangars at CB Jet Center.

"It's so exciting, I'm so happy, it's been a long process, a long journey, and we're just so glad he's going to be back with the family," said team member Emily White. At 4.5 lbs (2.04 kg) Haiden still isn’t going home, but he will be closer at the McKay Dee Hospital. He has survived some formidable odds and will have to adjust to the higher elevation in Utah. That doesn’t concern his mom, "I never have had a doubt that he wasn't going to make it, and I still don't," Emily said.