{"id":323546,"date":"2024-12-26T08:58:09","date_gmt":"2024-12-26T14:58:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=323546"},"modified":"2024-12-25T11:31:41","modified_gmt":"2024-12-25T17:31:41","slug":"south-africa-premature-thriving-teen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/south-africa-premature-thriving-teen\/","title":{"rendered":"South Africa’s most premature infant is now a thriving teen"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Allegra Lategan, South Africa\u2019s <\/span>most premature infant<\/span><\/a>, according to reports, was born at 22 weeks gestation more than a decade ago. Today, she is thriving as a newly-minted 13-year-old girl who enjoys spending time with her family, playing video games, and participating in choir and other school activities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Born<\/span><\/a> the length of a pen in 2011, Allegra faced many challenges as she was cared for by her parents and medical staff. Images of Allegra immediately after birth reveal a bright red baby weighing about 553 grams<\/span>. Through the ingenuity of her doctors, she survived her first three days in an off-the-shelf ziplock bag in order to protect and moisturize her paper-thin skin.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, Allegra is a happy teenager who has been a beacon of hope for parents. Allegra\u2019s mother, Chantal, told <\/span>News24<\/span><\/a>, “We’d ask ourselves, ‘Will she be able to walk, to speak? Will her brain develop to the point where she can take in information and learn?’\u201d But, thankfully, \u201cIt all worked out.” \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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