An 18-month-old New York girl is going home from the hospital for the first time, just in time for Thanksgiving.
Leah Montayes Macias was discharged Thursday from Blythedale Children's Hospital in Valhalla, New York, after spending the last year and a half at three different hospitals.
"It feels amazing," mom Stephanie Macias said ahead of Leah's discharge. "She has shown us how resilient she is, and this is the day we've just been waiting for, to bring her home."
Leah was born prematurely at 24 weeks gestation in May 2024 at a hospital in New York City. She weighed just 1.3 pounds at the time.
About 1 in 10 babies are born prematurely -- at 37 weeks or earlier -- according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Because she was born early, Leah needed treatment for various complications, including a patent ductus arteriosus, a type of heart defect where a fetal blood vessel doesn't close after birth as it normally would, causing changes in pressure and blood flow within the heart and lungs, according to StatPearls. She also needed treatment for a brain bleed, pulmonary hypertension and chronic lung disease.
"She was pretty sick when she got to us. She was breathing very fast and really needed a lot of respiratory support," Dr. M. Susan LaTuga, an attending physician at Blythedale Children's Hospital and one of Leah's doctors, told ABC News.
Since Leah arrived at Blythedale in November 2024, she has received various therapies and had time to grow and heal.
"She is thriving. She's just a delightful little girl," LaTuga said of Leah, whom she described as having a "sparkly" personality.
"When she came here, she was all tensed up, wouldn't move. And now, she's dancing," Macias added. "It's just amazing to see … she pushed through everything and she showed us what strength really is."
After what dad Andy Montayes described as an 18-month roller coaster ride, the family said they're looking forward to doing everyday things again, like eating breakfast together on a Saturday morning -- but with Leah at home.
"It's just going to be us. So that's very exciting to look forward to," Macias said.
Macias and Montayes said they hope Leah, who is now 24 pounds, will know just how strong she is when she grows up.
"I personally want her to know that she gave me strength to keep going," Macis said. "She was the rock of our family."
"She needs to know that she could do whatever she wants in life," Montayes added. "This is going to be her biggest struggle ever. The rest is a piece of cake for her."
LaTuga said that although Leah is going home with some oxygen support, supplied through a nasal cannula, and will need more follow-up care in the immediate future, to her, Leah's future "looks bright."
"Comparing her to where she started off with, she looks really good right now," LaTuga said.
She added, "I want folks to remember that there's hope that children who are born early thrive and do well [and] become productive members of society."
