The stretch of Highway 99 between Stockton and UC Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento is less than 50 miles, yet for Jazmin Quijano, it felt neverending on a fateful June night. At just 22 weeks and 3 days pregnant, she faced an unimaginable crisis: back labor and the stark reality that her local hospital wasn’t equipped to handle a baby so prematurely.
UC Davis Children’s Hospital, with its Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) — the highest level of care available — was her only hope. This unit is also known for their care of preterm babies. But getting there would be a race against time.
SOURCE: UC Davis Children’s Hospital
Shortly after midnight, Jazmin and her partner packed their car and set off for Sacramento. The journey quickly turned harrowing as Jazmin’s contractions intensified. By the time they reached Elk Grove, a suburb just south of Sacramento, Jazmin knew they needed immediate help. “We need to call 9-1-1,” she urged, though her partner hesitated, fearing they’d be stranded on the roadside without care.
They pushed on, but their baby had other plans. Near the 12th Avenue freeway exit in South Sacramento, Jazmin felt a rush of fluid. Moments later, her baby girl was born in the front passenger seat, still encased in her amniotic sac.
Panicked, Jazmin called 9-1-1. The dispatcher calmly guided her through breaking the sac and performing CPR on her fragile baby, whom she wrapped in a sweatshirt to keep warm. Within five minutes, Sacramento Fire Department Engine 6 arrived.
“Most of us have had labor and delivery calls, but not for someone this premature,” said Captain David Fike. Firefighter Eric Chin recalled the urgency: “We knew we had to get there quick.”
The firefighters worked quickly and carefully. In the ambulance, they used a single finger to perform CPR on the tiny baby, no larger than a pear. They cranked up the heat, dried her with towels, and ensured she remained stable for the short but critical ride to UC Davis Children’s Hospital.
When the baby arrived at the hospital’s Emergency Department, she had a good temperature and chest rise — a testament to the firefighters’ quick actions. NICU teams took over, providing high-frequency ventilation for her underdeveloped lungs and administering epinephrine to stabilize her heart rate.
“In our own controlled environment with the NICU, it can be challenging to maintain thermoregulation in extremely preterm infants,” said Janelle Beall, neonatal nurse manager. “It is incredible what EMS did to get the baby here safely. It made all the difference.”
Over the next 146 days, Jazmin’s daughter, Daleyza — a name that means “strength” — fought to grow and thrive in the NICU. She was cared for by a dedicated team of neonatologists, nurses, dietitians, respiratory therapists, and pharmacists. At birth, Daleyza weighed just 1 pound, 1 ounce. By November, she had grown to nearly 8 pounds and was ready to go home, just in time for Thanksgiving.
SOURCE: UC Davis Children’s Hospital
Jazmin describes the UC Davis NICU team as her second family. “Not all family is blood relatives. There is the family that you make, and these doctors and nurses are my family,” she said.
SOURCE: UC Davis Children’s Hospital
Her gratitude also extends to the firefighters who played a pivotal role in Daleyza’s survival. “I’m always going to thank them for whatever they did for her. They took care of her, and thanks to them and the UC Davis team, Daleyza is here today,” Jazmin said. “There are no words to express how thankful we are.”
SOURCE: UC Davis Children’s Hospital
UC Davis Children’s Hospital is among a select group of centers nationwide equipped to care for infants born as early as 22 weeks gestation. “For babies that are 22 weeks, there are only certain centers across the nation that are equipped to try to take care of them,” said Steven McElroy, chief of neonatology. “UC Davis is a fantastic place for these babies because we have a focused approach, a dedicated unit, and a team that is committed to their care.”
Babies born this early are only halfway through their development, with their organ systems still forming. Despite these odds, Daleyza’s journey highlights the extraordinary advances in neonatal care and the resilience of the human spirit.
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