After 355 days in the hospital, baby spends her first Christmas at home

FORT SMITH, Ark. — Harlow Miesner of Fort Smith is celebrating her first Christmas at home after spending nearly a year in the hospital. 

One year ago, Kaitlynn and Bailey Miesner weren’t sure when, or if, they would be able to bring their firstborn daughter home.

“A year ago, we didn’t know if we were gonna have her home,” Kaitlynn said. “We didn’t know when that would be or what it was gonna look like. I think seeing her open presents under the tree and just being here is gonna make it all worth it that much more,” Kaitlynn said.

Harlow was born on Mar. 27, 2024, at just 27 weeks and weighed 14.5 ounces. She was delivered at UAMS in Little Rock after her parents had spent eight days in the hospital. 

After a peaceful first few days, her parents say complications from being born so prematurely soon followed.

“We thought everything was going good and it just came crashing down,” Kaitlynn said. “It was literally just hour by hour, figuring out what was going to happen next,” Kaitlynn said.

After 296 days in the NICU and 355 days in the hospital, Harlow came home with a tracheostomy and machines to help her breathe. 

“Her lungs are so small, and then after being intubated so long, they have some damage to them,” Bailey said. “At this moment, she’s not able to breathe for long periods of time by herself.” 

Kaitlynn and Bailey say the tracheostomy was a turning point, and gave them the first real indication of when Harlow could come home. 

“The tunnels had always been there, but now, the light [was] actually there,” Kaitlynn said. “It was just that moment of like, ‘We’re doing this, and we’re going to do whatever’s best for her, and if that’s what they want, then that’s what we’re doing, and we can get our daughter home.'” 

Now, the tracheostomy lets Harlow crawl, play, and go out with her family on a regular basis. 

“This just gives her the chance to be a normal baby,” Kaitlynn said. “It seems like a lot, it is a lot, but you can still go to the water park, you can go to Target, we’ve been out to eat. We can do anything that you normally can do, just a few extra steps and a little bit more load,” Bailey said. 

After everything they’ve been through, Kaitlynn and Bailey want other parents to know that even in uncertainty, you can persevere and move forward. 

“At the end of the day, you’re so much stronger than what you or your baby’s facing,” Kaitlynn said. “You can get through it and be your baby’s biggest supporter.” 

Kaitlynn says this Christmas, a dream they once couldn’t imagine is finally coming true. 

“It doesn’t feel real. I think Christmas morning, we’ll wake up and we’ll see her, and we’re gonna be like, ‘Oh my gosh, we made it. It’s here.’ I think it’s gonna be everything that we’ve dreamed of.”