Becoming a parent for the first time is a very exciting event. It is also a very terrifying event. Any parent is going to feel out of their league when it comes to bringing a new child into the world. When it’s their firstborn, there seems to be a little additional pressure that goes along with it and that is especially true when the child is premature. It can be difficult as you second-guess every step of the process while your little one is struggling in the hospital. Every once in a while, however, you are given a reminder of what really matters when it comes to the precious little child.
David and Lauren Vinje found themselves in that situation in 2016. The baby that was born to those first-time parents weighed only 3 pounds and 14 ounces. Even though the baby was struggling, she still had something for the parents that was going to make them feel much better. The little girl, named Freya managed to give them the biggest smile that seemed to go from one ear to the next. It’s obvious that she was a happy little baby and the smile was just her way of saying everything was going to be okay.
She posted on a popular Facebook page, Birth without Fears Preeclampsia began to become evident at about 28 weeks and they were fearful that their daughter was not going to make it. The mother realized that issues were occurring because she would swell to the point where her hands wouldn’t fit around her ankles. She was also seeing flashing lights but she managed to make it to 32 weeks.
At that point, Lauren had an induced delivery and her daughter had turned sideways, which meant that an emergency C-section must take place. Lauren did everything in her power to help her little daughter and she was a fighter.
AW! This photo of a smiling premature baby has gone viral this month. See her story here: https://t.co/sxIC8CJ9bk pic.twitter.com/EI4HeTEPL0
— KGUN9 On Your Side (@kgun9) October 26, 2016
Her little girl may have been in the NICU, but she had something to say to her parents and to the world. She gave the biggest smile and the mother was able to catch it on camera. Rather than keeping it to herself, she shared it on Facebook where it went viral.
We often hear stories about heartache and sadness associated with the stress of premature delivery. This family is showing that there are happy moments that can also go along with it, along with moments of hope.
Freya is almost 3 years old and she has a new baby sister, Elowen. Lauren said that she continues to smile regularly and is just one of those children that tends to have no strangers in her life. It’s nice to hear a happy ending.
Source: Rare