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Can you believe it? It's been 6 months already since the pregnancy and of Dana & Arkell Graves miracle baby, Kaleb "Baby Buns" Graves. Social media was on fire when Dana uploaded the video of her announcing that she was pregnant after 17 years of trying with miscarriages and a still birth. But then the miraculous happened.
READ: Baby Buns Update: "We Know God Is Still Working"
The video of the announcement went viral of Baby Buns’ father sobbing when he learned he was going to be a dad.
Little Kaleb came into the world against all odds. He was born at just 23 weeks and weighed less than one pound.
“To make it to this day, I am truly grateful,” says Baby Buns’ mother, Dana Griffin-Graves. "Eight pounds, five ounces; it’s amazing the journey that we’ve endured over these last six months.”
It has been an emotional roller coaster for the couple with a lot of ups and downs. There were times when doctors told the family Kaleb might not make it. But every time the little guy faced a scary health challenge, he surprised them all.
And even his personality is developing too.
“He’s a little stubborn,” Dana said, laughing. “Probably a lot stubborn.”
TAKE A LOOK BACK: Couple Delivers Baby 16 Weeks Early And Video Goes Viral
Maybe that helped Baby Buns overcome one of his biggest obstacles: He’s no longer on a ventilator.His tiny lungs are growing stronger with the help of a CPAP machine.
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A CPAP machine is a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine. It applies mild air pressure on a continuous basis to keep the airways continuously open in a person who is able to breathe spontaneously on their own.
“He is now breathing on his own and the CPAP machine actually just keeps his lungs open, in between breaths,” Dana added. “So......he’s been on that for 10 days and we are so thankful because it was a big hurdle that we were waiting to cross.”
Dana insists Kaleb is a good baby. He doesn’t cry much and has learned to roll over on his own.
As for his health, like a lot of preemies, Kaleb suffers from chronic lung disease. But so far, he’s not showing signs of other serious complications that many premature infants endure.
Chronic lung disease in an infant means that damaged tissue in the newborn's lungs is causing breathing and health problems. The lungs trap air or collapse, fill with fluid, and produce extra mucus.
Most babies who have chronic lung disease survive. But symptoms may come back and need treatment into early childhood. In time, many children outgrow most of their lung problems.
Chronic lung disease is also known as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or BPD.
Chronic lung disease is caused by problems in a baby's lungs. It is most common in premature babies who are born before 26 weeks of gestational age and weigh less than 2.2 lbs.
We and the BlackDoctor.org family are continuing to pray for Kaleb (Kaleb means "brave" by the way).
Keep pushing brave warrior! We're counting on you!