When it comes to our littlest patients, your donations matter a whole lot. Thanks to your support, babies in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can grow healthy, happy, and strong.

Do these little ones look familiar? We are so excited to share how far they’ve come.

Lorenzo

In Februrary, we met Lorenzo, who spent a little bit of time in Humber River Hospital’s NICU after being born by emergency C-Section (you may recognize him from the homepage of our website)! Lorenzo is very proud of his six teeth, loves to get around by rolling, and his favourite words are “Ma Ma” and “Da Da”. He is even starting to take steps with assistance. He is a baby with many interests, including bouncing in his Jolly Jumper, story time with mommy, long car rides, play dates with his baby friends, and peek-a-boo. Lorenzo’s favourite song to dance to is “Travesuras” by Nicky Jam, and he loves to cuddle and spend time with his family.

Cassie

Do you remember Cassie? Cassie was born at another Toronto hospital, weighing only 800 grams. Her mother Melissa was 25 weeks pregnant, and as she shared with us, “There was no stopping her!” After a month and a half, she was transferred to Humber River Hospital where she grew — strong, happy, and bright. Today Cassie is 17 months old (13 months corrected). She just started walking and is trying to talk. She loves playing with her big brother, watching Mickey Mouse Club (because she adores Minnie!), and taking her pink toy car for a ride. Melissa tells us there is still no stopping her! Now that she can walk she is trying to run, and has even tried the stairs. “Every single day that little girl amazes me,” she says.

Adela

Jessica and Clayton had planned on getting married a couple of months before baby Adela’s due date, but Adela had other plans and was born 9 weeks early on April 1st. Clayton and Jessica shared their first dance in their new baby’s NICU room at Humber River Hospital.

Today, at eight months old, Adela is rolling over by herself and even has her first tooth coming in! She absolutely loves her stuffed elephant with teething tags – she smiles brightly and hugs her elephant close. She loves music, especially when she tries to sing along. And, she always has a smile for her big sister.

Aria and Essanie

It’s hard to believe that just a few months ago, twin girls Aria and Essanie were living in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Their mother Silvia went into labour at only 29 weeks pregnant, and after delivering her first daughter, Essanie, doctors told Silvia she would need an emergency C-section to deliver Aria. Aria was born without vital signs, but after a few terrifying minutes, doctors were able to resuscitate her, saving her life. Both girls spent months in Humber’s NICU.

Today, Essanie and Aria have started walking on their own without any help – and all they want to do is be on the go! They both love watching cartoons (especially Dora the Explorer) and playing with their big brother.