Boy goes home after 476 days in the hospital
(FOX 9) - A 15-month-old boy born prematurely was discharged from the hospital Wednesday after a 476-day stay.
Nash Warnert was born at 26 weeks gestation, weighing only two pounds and facing a myriad of medical complications. The boy has been continuously hospitalized at M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital ever since.
"There were times I didn’t think it would ever happen for us," said Nash’s mom Kit Chambers when asked about his release. "There were so many times we were close to losing him that having him here in our house is surreal."
Warnert was born with a condition called Omphalocele, in which his liver was outside his body. He also suffered a brain bleed at birth, and months later, doctors discovered an issue with his intestine that required surgery.
When he was discharged Wednesday, Chambers and her boyfriend Matt Warnert were surrounded by dozens of nurses and medical staff who cared for Nash over his lengthy stay. Chambers said hospital staff became like family, as she made the trip from Maple Grove to Minneapolis every day – only missing fourteen days the last fifteen months.
Chambers says due to all the surgeries, sedation, and medication, Nash’s mobility development is delayed. They hope now that he’s home, he will start to blow through milestones.
Kit shares that as parents they’ve also sacrificed simple joys most parents take for granted. For example, it was only recently that Kit was able to give her son a big bear hug, as tubes and medical equipment prevented getting that close.
"All those things you expect as a new parent, we just get to experience it a year down the road," said Nash’s dad Matt Warnert. "We can perform all these crazy medical tasks, but making sure the car seat is fastened properly is new to us."
Chambers says friends and family helped get their house ready to care for Nash, who has to be monitored 24/7.
"It makes everything else really insignificant," she said. "You really zoom in on what matters and its family. Every time."