Born at only 1 pound, Georgia baby and parents celebrate 1 year out of the NICU

In May 2025, Callum Carswell decided he was ready to enter the world several weeks earlier than expected.

Born at only 1 pound, Callum started life at 23 weeks and four days before his due date, which resulted in what turned out to be a 135-day Neonatal Intensive Care Unit stay at Emory Decatur Hospital.

For parents Chandler and Caitlin Carswell, the past year has been both challenging and rewarding, according to the first-time parents. Caitlin said she had many complications during the duration of her pregnancy.

"He just had a rough entry to life," Caitlin said. "He had a long 135-day journey in the NICU. We had a lot of ups and downs. We're so proud and blessed and thankful for how far he's come. We couldn't really imagine a day like today when our journey first started. It seemed like a lifetime away."

According to the National Library of Medicine, the survival rate for babies born at 24 weeks is about 40%.

Caitlin said Callum survived multiple life-threatening bacterial infections and other situations where doctors told the couple their son could die, creating uncertainty around finally making it to a day where they could bring Callum home.

During the NICU stay, the Carswells said having their son baptized by a local priest proved to be the turning point in Callum's journey.

"When you are looking at your child, and he looks like he's on death's door," Caitlin said. "But after he had that baptism, it was a complete 180. His stats started to go up. Things started to work. Things were effective. We think we witnessed a miracle that day. He is so resilient, and he gets through every challenge no matter what life has thrown at him so far."

Although Callum is a year removed from the NICU, every day is still a moment of thanks and improvement for the family, as Callum had to learn the basics like breathing and eating on his own.

"Callum has an occupational therapist, a physical therapist, a feeding therapist, a cardiologist, a pulmonologist, and of course he has his pediatrician," Chandler said. "Despite all of that, he is just one of the happiest babies I have ever seen. The only time he's sad is when he's hungry."

The Carswells said they're extremely thankful to the NICU staff at Emory Decatur, and they believe everyone can find inspiration in Callum's resilience.

Callum is currently displaying his resilience in a national Baby of the Year competition, in which he is a quarter-finalist. You can vote by clicking here.