Former Micropreemie and Parents Make Lasting Impact on Oklahoma Families

Olivia Chilton was born in 1996 at Integris Health Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. At 25 weeks and weighing just over a pound, she was the smallest baby ever cared for at Baptist’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), a title Olivia would hold for about 20 years. She had a 5-10% chance of survival. 

“I will say that the very first time I saw her, I did not think it was possible that this itsy-bitsy little thing could make it,” said mom Michelle. Edward Co, M.D., neonatologist and practice medical director at Pediatrix® Neonatology of Oklahoma City, cared for Olivia together with his team. 

“Olivia was very sick and like any small baby at the time, it was just a matter of survival,” said Dr. Co. “There were lots of ups and downs, but the good thing is Michelle and [her husband] Gary were always there.” 

Olivia received several first-time treatments for respiratory distress syndrome, including the use of surfactants and an oscillating ventilator, both of which became available soon before she was born. 

“It started out really rough,” said Michelle. “We were just trying to make it through the first night, and then the first week and then through that first month milestone. She just kept slowly surmounting these odds, and then, to our amazement, 97 days later that little girl went home from the hospital at a whopping four pounds.”

Family-Centered Care

At the time, Dr. Co was developing a family-centered care program for the state. It started out as the Neonatal Parents Network of Oklahoma, which focused on support for families who had premature and critically ill babies. 

Before Michelle delivered, a mom of a former preemie visited her at the bedside to provide comfort. 

“It was amazing to have someone be able to hold your hand and allay your fears when you think there’s no hope for your child,” she said. “I can’t imagine going through that alone and without having someone to lean on or cry with, be scared with and share experiences with. It’s lifesaving for the parents.”

As the program evolved, Dr. Co noticed a gap in the care team – parents.

“Michelle and Gary were active participants and very supportive of what we were doing with our staff,” he said. “That was very helpful because they were the quintessential parents that really got us going and made it work.”

Parental involvement in the NICU is vital for enhancing infant outcomes and bonding. Active parental participation, including feeding and skin-to-skin contact, can reduce hospital length of stay, improve breastfeeding rates and support long-term development. It also benefits parents' emotional well-being and lowers stress. 

“When we have family-centered care, we involve the parents as the leaders of the care team,” said Dr. Co.

The Baptist NICU was the first in the state to implement kangaroo care, or skin-to-skin contact, a key component of family-centered care. Michelle experienced this when she first held Olivia at more than a month old. 

“They put this tiny little baby on me – she wasn’t even two pounds yet – and it was amazing to watch her heart rate settle down and her respiratory and oxygen rates improve,” said Michelle. “Dr. Co really had something there with skin-to-skin contact. It was amazing that we got to be one of the first families to be involved in something like that.”

Michelle and Gary were inspired to help Dr. Co grow the Neonatal Parents Network, which ultimately became the Oklahoma Family Network. Today, the organization supports Oklahoma families with critically ill infants or children with special health care needs or disabilities. As a result of their efforts, the organization is now a statewide non-profit agency that receives state and federal funding. The group is involved with the Oklahoma State Department of Education, Legislature and Human Services.

“Little preemie babies grow up, and they become toddlers and then grow into kids,” said Michelle. “Some of them do well and some of them have longstanding issues. The expansion of The Oklahoma Family Network from just preemies to children of all ages has helped countless families, all because of Dr. Co and his groundbreaking vision to help families. It’s pretty amazing.”

NICU Grad Turned NICU Nurse

Olivia went on to live a normal, healthy life. Growing up, she always had a connection with children and an interest in the human body.

“I always thought I wanted to do something in the medical field with nursing,” she said. “I shadowed in the NICU when I was in high school, and I knew that’s where I wanted to be.”

After completing nursing school clinicals, “it was a no-brainer that I wanted to do the NICU,” said Olivia. “It was a very easy decision.”

Her story has come full circle. Now 29 years old, she works as a neonatal nurse in the same Baptist unit alongside Dr. Co. 

“It’s so fun,” said Olivia. “Some of the nurses who cared for me are still here. It’s amazing getting to work with the people who saved my life.”

The experience has been especially rewarding for Dr. Co. To see a patient not only survive but thrive into adulthood is what every neonatologist hopes for.

“It’s wonderful to be able to see her grow and be part of our unit,” he said. “If a parent is having a hard time I will say, ‘Do you know who your nurse is? Do you see Olivia around in the hallway?’ And they say, ‘Is that Olivia?!’ They’re so excited. She is always there to talk to them and very caring, and that’s most important. No matter what I do as a physician, the person who has gone through it is your nurse. It’s incredible.”

Today, micropreemie outcomes have greatly improved because of advances in technology and the implementation of family-centered care in many NICUs across the U.S. 

“Now, we are saving 22-weekers,” said Dr. Co. “Chances of survival for those 22-weekers that receive antenatal steroids are much better, more like 25-30%. Babies have less complications and go home earlier. Since we started the family-centered care, our outcomes have been really good. I think it’s because parents are participating in the care as early as possible. They are always there at the bedside, holding and doing kangaroo care.”

As for Olivia, she continues to have a profound impact on the Baptist unit, encouraging families who endure the same challenges her parents did.

“I think it gives them hope to see that I was a NICU baby and that their baby, too, can overcome the challenges of being a micropreemie,” she said.

Learn more about our neonatology services or find care in your area.