AUSTIN — Babies from Central Texas were reunited Saturday with the nurses that cared for them at the to St. David’s Women’s Center of Texas Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Among the crowed was baby Zoe, who doctors said she wouldn't survive past birth.
"She's my full time job now," said Nye Peterson, Zoe's mother. Teary-eyed, Peterson explained, "When you find out about a diagnosis that doesn't have a lot of hope, it's devastating."
It was supposed to a joyous time in Peterson's life, but instead she spent her pregnancy living in fear.
"When people tell you your daughter won't make it to birth, it's crushing," she explained.
Her daughter Zoe was born with a rare condition known as Trisomy 18, also known as Edwards Syndrome. It's a condition which is caused by a error in cell division known as meiotic dis-junction.
"When she was born, she was fed through a tube just like other preemie babies do," Peterson explained.
But baby Zoe was a fighter, making it through infancy and into toddlerhood.
Zoe will soon be 4 years old.
"All of these things we were told would never happen, she's doing them all," her mom said.
"This morning we were very excited because Zoe was going to be here," said Amy Irons, Director of Neonatal Services at St. David's Woman's Center of Texas.
"Connecting with Zoe and seeing her makes us feel that we have so much to give," Irons explained.
Hundreds of children like Zoe met with the nurses that cared for them in ICU at the North Austin hospital.
"These families have been through so much in having a sick baby," Irons said. "This is a chance for us to reconnect with those babies."
"It means a lot to get to see some of the nurses that treated her and cared for Zoe," Peterson explained.
It was a reunion showing miracles do exist.
"Always have hope," said Zoe's mom. "No one can predict your child's future because every child has it's own unique story."
This is the ninth year St. David’s Women’s Center of Texas has reunited it's NICU babies with their nurses.