In the early hours of June 9, Sherrye woke up experiencing intense abdominal pain. At 21 weeks pregnant, she was concerned and decided to take a bath while monitoring her pain. However, when the pain became consistent, she knew something was wrong. She urgently woke up her husband Jamar, and together, they made their way to MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach.
A full-term pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, but at just 21 weeks, this was considered an extremely premature birth. The odds were stacked against them – with a less than 10 percent chance of their daughter surviving at such an early stage.
The couple met with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) team at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital where Dr. Peggy Chen, a neonatologist, told them she would take on the challenge of intubating and resuscitating their micro-preemie baby.
Jamar shared his gratitude for Dr. Chen’s expertise and bravery: “We are incredibly thankful for Dr. Chen who believed in our daughter Marz and played a crucial role in bringing us where we are today.”
Marz was born on June 9 at 7:03 a.m., weighing just one pound and one ounce – roughly the size of a can of soda. Her birth set a record at Miller Children’s & Women’s as the most premature baby ever born and discharged from their hospital.
Describing Marz’s survival as nothing short of miraculous,”Dr. Antoine Soliman, medical director of NICU at Miller Children’s & Women’s said: “Babies born extremely prematurely like this don’t always survive. However, thanks to Miller Children’s & Women’s NICU and their specialized Small Baby Center, which focuses on providing tailored care to micro-preemies, Marz had a better chance of survival.”
Sherrye and Jamar credit much of Marz’s success to the amazing care team who never stopped believing in her. Despite her fragile condition, Marz defied the odds by not needing any surgeries during her four-and-a-half-month stay in the NICU. Instead, she continued to grow stronger each day.
“Marz has shown us just how delicate life can be,” said Sherrye. “Our faith in God, ourselves, and the incredible team here has grown immensely. We had so many questions for the doctors throughout this journey – and they answered them all with respect, care, and detail.”
The support and sense of community provided by the care team didn’t go unnoticed – tragically, just one month after Marz was born, Sherrye’s father passed away. During this difficult time, Jamar expressed his deep gratitude for the staff at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital – especially Rev. Candace Kelly (NICU Chaplain), Dr. James Earhart (NICU Psychologist), Brenda Macias (Family Resource Coordinator), and Erin Tukua (Child Life Specialist) – who provided invaluable support. Even when they weren’t assigned to Marz, the NICU care team consistently checked in on her condition, offering updates to Sherrye and Jamar while they were away.
“The staff here held us up through it all,” said Sherrye. “Their care went beyond just looking after our daughter –we truly found a community during this difficult time.”
During Marz’s four-month stay in the NICU, the staff went above and beyond to bring comfort to the family. A Child Life music therapist named Lauryl even taught their oldest daughter Kennedy how to play guitar. Kennedy developed a deep interest in the instrument and was eventually gifted her own guitar through Memorial Care’s Simply Better Trust program, which empowers staff to create extraordinary experiences for patients and their families. In addition, Lauryl arranged three months of free music lessons for Kennedy through a partnership with the JoyRx Music Program.
One nurse who formed a close bond with Jamar surprised him with a handmade painting depicting a nurse resuscitating baby Marz. Another nurse gifted Sherrye with a handmade blanket for their daughter.
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