‘Miracle’ baby born at 26 weeks goes home after 146-day NICU stay
A New York family is celebrating the homecoming of their baby girl after a 146-day stay in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit.
After nearly five months, LaTashia Morris, 32, and David Taylor, 33, of Freeport brought their daughter Trinity Alexandria Rose Taylor home for the first time on Sept. 17.
Trinity Alexandria Rose Taylor, who was born at 26 weeks gestation, went home on Sept. 17, 2025 after spending 146 days in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Catholic Health
“It’s not something that was guaranteed. We give God thanks, first and foremost, that she’s even able to make it through this and be able to be home with us,” Taylor told ABC News, calling Trinity their “miracle.”
Trinity was born at Catholic Health’s Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre, New York, at 26 weeks gestation back on April 24. She arrived nearly three months early, as her due date was supposed to be July 31, and weighed just 1 pound, 14 ounces.
Because she was born so early, Trinity had complications with her lungs, eyes and heart, but doctors and nurses at Mercy Hospital’s Level III NICU never gave up on giving Trinity a fighting chance.
“I’m incredibly proud of her resilience, her fight, and her quiet determination,” Dr. Swarna Devarajan, a director of neonatology at Mercy Hospital, said in a statement.
Trinity with one of her doctors and nurses at Catholic Health’s Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre, New York.
Catholic Health
“Seeing her finally go home, cradled in the arms of her mom and dad, is the kind of moment we all hope for,” Devarajan continued. “Trinity’s remarkable transformation is a powerful reflection of what advanced NICU care can achieve — but even more so, it’s a testament to the strength and spirit of one incredible little girl.”
While in the NICU, Trinity’s parents said nurses would play “Hakuna Matata” from Disney’s “The Lion King” for her and it quickly became one of her favorite songs.
“One day, she was a little fussy, so one of the nurses put on Disney music for her and when ‘Hakuna Matata’ came on, she was, like, all smiles,” Morris told ABC News. “Every time that song came on, she was all smiles and it would also help to relax her and she kind of just responded well to the song.”
Trinity’s parents say she is “very sassy,” “strong,” and “a fighter.”
Catholic Health
Morris and Taylor say they’re excited to start a new chapter with their “sassy” and “feisty” Trinity — now 11 pounds, 9.9 ounces — at home.
“She has shown us the true definition of what strength is,” Morris said. “She was small but mighty, and she’s our little miracle baby.”
Trinity is expected to grow out of some of her medical complications as doctors continue to follow up with her.
“She is healthy,” Morris said of what doctors told them about Trinity. “She’s a strong girl, and these are kind of things that she’ll grow out of as she gets older and continues to gain weight and continues to mature.”
This week marks Neonatal Nurses Awareness Week.
Morris and Taylor said they also want to express their heartfelt gratitude to the hospital staff and especially the nurses at Mercy Hospital.
“They really treated Trinity like she was their own child. The love they had for her, the care that they gave her was outstanding,” said Morris. “We knew that she was in good hands. … They were strangers. Now, I consider every one of the nurses in the NICU as family. They are absolutely amazing.”
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