From Prematurity to a Miraculous Recovery in the CHRISTUS Children’s Level IV NICU
Novalynn's story
Diamond Puente and Elijah Puente-Charo were thrilled to find out they were expecting their third child, already envisioning the joy another baby would bring to their family of four. Their previous experiences with childbirth had been smooth and trouble-free, setting a hopeful precedent for this pregnancy.
However, when Diamond was about 20 weeks pregnant in July 2023, she noticed a leakage of fluid, which she later found out was amniotic fluid. The next day, the leakage escalated to spotting, which continued for a week. Concerned, Diamond decided it was time to seek medical attention.
CHRISTUS Children's NICU
The Level IV NICU at CHRISTUS Children's in San Antonio offers advanced care for newborns and their families, especially babies born prematurely or with special medical conditions.
Specialized Care at CHRISTUS Children’s
Diamond visited the emergency room at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital – Westover Hills, where the medical team confirmed her water had broken early. While this didn’t mean immediate labor, it required urgent attention.
To prevent the onset of active labor and to safeguard her baby's health, the doctors administered magnesium and steroid shots to help speed the development of her baby’s lungs should she go into labor. Recognizing the potential need for specialized care, they transferred Diamond to CHRISTUS Children’s, home to a Level IV NICU, which is the highest level of neonatal care available for premature babies and critically ill infants. This proactive measure ensured that both Diamond and her baby would have immediate access to critical care should it become necessary.
At CHRISTUS Children’s, Diamond was under constant supervision, benefiting from the hospital's expert medical care, which allowed her to prolong her pregnancy by six weeks, significantly increasing her baby's chances of survival.
During her stay, Diamond was confined to bed rest, facing challenges including the continuous loss of amniotic fluid and being diagnosed with preeclampsia. Her medical team continued providing expert care, replenishing her amniotic fluid, and providing magnesium and steroids to protect her and her baby.
Emergency C-Section
On August 30, Diamond's condition worsened with severe bleeding, and her baby's heart rate started to drop. Seeing that both were in danger, the doctors quickly decided to perform an emergency C-section.
"This was all new to me,” Diamond said. “I had my first two kids naturally without any complications. I remember telling my husband to call my mom as they began prepping me for the C-section.”
Novalynn Puente was born at 27 weeks and 1 day gestation, weighing just 2 pounds, 2 ounces. She was considered extremely premature, but Diamond knew she was in good hands.
“Everyone that day was amazing,” Diamond said. “My two favorite nurses, Ms. Stephanie and Ms. Tina, just happened to be working that day. They helped me remain calm the entire time. They held my hand and coached me through every step. I’m truly thankful for their presence that day.”
Treating Prematurity Challenges at a Level IV NICU
Because Novalynn was born at just 27 weeks, she faced challenges due to her underdeveloped lungs, necessitating ventilation support for breathing and a feeding tube for nutrition. What she truly needed was time. With continuous respiratory assistance, vigilant monitoring, and dedicated care, she consistently exceeded medical expectations and made remarkable progress in her development.
“Besides her lung complications from being so premature, there was nothing wrong with her,” Diamond said. “She was amazing and so strong.”
Day by day, Novalynn’s condition improved—especially after she reached her original due date on November 28.
“After she finally surpassed what would have been 40 weeks, she really began to make progress,” Diamond said. “She was able to move from the ventilator to a CPAP machine, then eventually to a nasal cannula. All in all, she was on breathing support for four months.”
Diamond attributes Novalynn's recovery and health milestones to the expertise and dedication of her medical team, particularly neonatologists Dr. Maria Pierce, System Director of Neonatology for CHRISTUS Health, and Dr. Pratik Parikh, Assistant Medical Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at CHRISTUS Children’s.
"They were always providing hands-on care, and they were so communicative, which I really appreciated,” Diamond said.
Dr. Pierce spoke about the day-to-day challenges that face her team in the NICU.
"Every day in the NICU is a new journey, both for our team and for the families,” Dr. Pierce said. “We take it one day at a time, but with expert care and meticulous monitoring, we often witness incredible success stories like Novalynn’s. Our goal is to provide the best possible care, ensuring that each baby has the opportunity to thrive."
Comprehensive Care Day by Day
Diamond also expressed gratitude towards the nurses and the entire NICU care team for enhancing their hospital stay. Celebrating Novalynn's first Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas in the hospital was made more enjoyable through small yet significant gestures such as gift bags, blankets and personalized cards from the staff.
"Those little touches were deeply meaningful, given the length of our stay," Diamond said.
Finally, on January 23, 2024, Novalynn was discharged from the hospital and able to join her two older siblings at home. Today, she continues to thrive, exceeding expectations and growing stronger each day.
"When my water broke at 20 weeks, I was prepared for anything,” Diamond said. “The doctors said her survival chances at that stage were just 10%, and that every day counted. I am so grateful for the exceptional care that enabled me to prolong the pregnancy by six more weeks, and the fact that our daughter was able to overcome so many hurdles and come home with us free of wires, surgeries, and feeding tubes is truly incredible.”
Learn more about the Level IV NICU at CHRISTUS Children's.