'A fighter and a miracle': Baby born at 22 weeks finally goes home after more than a year

A baby boy who was given less than a 10% chance of survival at birth is finally home with his family after spending more than a year in the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary’s Medical Center.

Safir Islamm was discharged Tuesday, nearly 13 months after he was born at just 22 weeks and weighed only 1 pound, 3 ounces.

Doctors initially feared he might not survive. But Safir defied the odds, growing to more than 8 pounds by his first birthday and earning a reputation among his caregivers as both “a fighter and a miracle.”

Safir’s long road home included numerous surgeries, many involving his stomach and aimed at helping him tolerate feedings. Through it all, his parents and medical team celebrated each milestone.

His first birthday on June 25 was especially meaningful. Safir had spent his entire first year in the hospital, and the NICU team marked the occasion by singing “Happy Birthday” to him at midnight and later gathering for a celebration that included both day- and night-shift employees.

The milestone carried added emotion for Safir’s family. Before his birth, his parents lost another baby boy who died after eight days.

Safir’s mother, father and older sister were together for his birthday celebration, surrounded by the doctors, nurses and other caregivers who had become part of his extended family.

When Safir turned 1, hospital officials said he still had several months of treatment ahead. Less than a month later, he reached the milestone everyone had been hoping for: leaving the hospital.

Photos shared by the Palm Beach Health Network showed Safir on the day of his discharge, ready to begin the next chapter of his life at home with his family.

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After more than a year of surgeries, setbacks and hard-won progress, the little boy who was once given almost no chance of survival left the NICU as a symbol of hope — and proof that even the smallest fighters can overcome enormous odds.