‘Saving lives’: Family grateful after son comes home from 249-day NICU stay

CHARLOTTE — According to the Donoghue family, every day has been pure joy since they welcomed their son John home.

John was born at 22 weeks, weighing just 1 pound, 1.8 ounces. He came home from the Novant Health NICU three months ago after a 249-day stay.

“I just remember looking at him, and he’s like, you know, he’s a baby that’s 22 weeks, but I thought he was the cutest little thing in the whole world,” his mother, Nicole Donoghue, told Channel 9’s Elsa Gillis.

It’s been a long road, living by the hour, then day, as John grew stronger and stronger. Thankfully, that growth was happening in a place the family describes as “magical.”

“It is a beautiful place,” Nicole said. “Everyone there is doing everything that they can to make sure that these babies survive and thrive.”

Now, John is about to turn a year old, but for families still praying beside those incubators, the Donoghue’s encourage them to trust the staff, lean on those around them and keep the faith.

“They’re saving lives,” John’s dad, Connor Donoghue, said. “Just try to focus on one day at a time. There’s no reason to compare your baby to anybody else, because your baby was meant to be here and is special, you know, just the way that they are.”

September is NICU Awareness Month. Neonatal intensive care units were first established in 1960 in the United States.

According to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data report, the percentage of infants admitted to a NICU has increased in recent years.

Both of the Carolinas saw a spike in admission rates between 2016 and 2023.

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