Miracle Moment: Regina Kearney

Reporter: Amanda Hall Writer: Elyssa Morataya
Published: Updated:

Regina Kearney was supposed to be a Christmas baby, but according to her mom, Yaneliz Sardinas, she just couldn’t wait.

Regina came two months early, and her dad, Shane Kearney, remembers it vividly.

“We had a nurse come in and, you know, took a look at her and discovered that the baby’s head was on top of the umbilical cord,” Shane said, “All of a sudden, alarms went off, and nurses came rushing in.”

The nurse who examined Yaneliz jumped on the gurney and never left her side.

“She was on the bed with me holding the head of the baby, so she didn’t come out,” said Yaneliz.

The couple was rushed to the operating room for an emergency C-section.

“A few minutes later, the doctor came out and told me I had a beautiful little girl,” said Shane.

Families who have had babies in the NICU will tell you there are a lot of ups and downs before they bring their baby home.

For baby Regina, one of those came when a nurse noticed her swollen belly.

“Our baby had medical NEC, And this is an issue with the gut, and, you know, it’s often deadly,” said Shane.

Necrotizing Enterocolitis, or NEC, inflames intestinal tissue, causing the tissue to die.

Luckily, Regina’s NEC was caught quickly and treated with antibiotics, and after nearly two and a half months in the NICU, this lucky little lady got to go home.

“She’s a miracle baby,” said Yaneliz.

“Regina is dressed in, you know, a four-leaf clover outfit right now because she is our four-leaf clover,” said the father. “She is our little miracle.”

The couple took Regina home on Dec. 26, just three days before her actual due date.

Regina Kearney is our Miracle Moment.

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