When little Charlie Smith was first born, he weighed just 1 pound, and was given a 50% chance for survival. The tiny baby was born at 25 weeks gestation, and doctors rushed him to the neonatal intensive care unit to immediately begin treatment.
Tragically, Charlie wasn’t the first premature baby that mom Alena had given birth to. Alena and her husband Wendell’s first son, Wendell III, was also born prematurely at 31 weeks at 3 pounds, though her doctors were baffled as to why this has happened twice.
Aside from having preeclampsia during her second pregnancy, Alena had no serious health conditions which could possibly lead to her babies being born prematurely.
Speaking of Charlie’s birth, Alena told Good Morning America, “It was scary, especially since he was much smaller than his brother.”
Despite his tiny size, Charlie battled through 328 days at the hospital, with his mommy by his side every step of the way.
Charlie had a tracheoscopy to help him breathe, which was removed in 2019. He also received therapy at home, including physical, occupational and speech, Charlie’s nurse, Geunevah Lafontant from Optimum Pediatric Services, told GMA.
“This year, he’s considered no longer medically fragile. He met all of his milestones and no longer required tracheotomy or gastronomy,” Geunevah said.
Charlie is now a healthy three-year-old, who enjoys playing baseball and wrestling with his 9-year-old brother, Wendell.
He’s come such a long way from the 1 pound little baby who was fighting for his life in the hospital, and he proved that he could overcome just about anything.
“He was determined to keep up with his big brother,” Alena said. “He’s a fighter.”
In celebration of Charlie reaching his milestones, Cobb County police and fire stations rallied together to make Charlie’s day as special as possible. They drove their vehicles past his house, and the sweet moment was captured on video.
Nurse Geunevah had grown fond of the little boy during the last three years, and to her, the celebration was also a chance to say goodbye- as Charlie no longer needed to visit the hospital.
“It was a bittersweet moment… I have to say goodbye to him, but it was also a good reason to say goodbye,” Geunevah said.
First responders and medical staff held the parade and ceremony in Powder Springs, Georgia, on Nov. 1. It was one day before Charlie’s third birthday and was a perfect way to celebrate just how much he had grown.
The whole ceremony was treated like a graduation- so Charlie had to dress appropriately!
“He wore his cap and gown and [his nurse] Geunevah handed him a certificate,” Alena recalled.
The video of Charlie’s special day was shared onto YouTube by Good Morning America, and the sweet moment has been viewed over 265,000 times.
Charlie’s mom now supports other preemie parents through her organization, Trust Your Strength, to help other families deal with the struggles that she went through herself. You can watch the sweet video of Charlie’s graduation ceremony below, and don’t forget to have some tissues at hand!
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