How a One-Pound Baby Born at Sea Was Kept Alive

KSL.com reported Chase and Emily Morgan were in the midst of a seven-day Caribbean cruise with their 3-year-old daughter Chloe when Emily unexpectedly went into labor.

It is not totally clear what caused Mrs Morgan to go into early labour, though doctors have said it might have been related to dehydration, an elevation change or the differing temperatures at sea, she said.

“Haiden is a fighter and he will make it through all of this”, Morgan said.

“On a daily basis they tell us he’s a miracle baby and that he wants to be here”, Emily told KSL-TV. “He’s not breathing very well (and) we don’t expect him to live very long, ‘” Emily Morgan said.

“Anytime that somebody says that you’re not gonna have a baby it’s definitely devastating to experience and to feel that’s something that I’ll always remember”, she said. “I felt the process of him getting bigger”, she said. Although Emily was frustrated with the medics aboard the ship for not letting her see her son right away, she understands that they were trying to protect her.

“He was crying, like a little feeble cry”, Emily said. Along with his healthy pink colouring, it was a positive sign that his lungs were relatively strong. She and the ship’s medical staff wrapped the boy in fresh towels, and tucked “microwaved saline packets around him to create a makeshift incubator”. Additionally, they used napkins to keep his head warm and did not touch his skin. “In order to provide mother and child with additional and urgent medical attention, the ship altered its course and sailed full speed to the closest port of call, San Juan, Puerto, Rico”.

The boat arrived to the port two hours early, as black spots began to appear on Haiden’s fingers, indicating his circulation was starting to fade.

The Morgans spent two days in Puerto Rico before family and friends in Utah gathered their resources to help the family get a private jet to take them to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, in Miami.

Haiden Morgan is being called a miracle baby after being born 4 months premature on a cruise ship weighing just 1 pound, 8 ounces.

Royal Caribbean officials did not return a message from The Associated Press seeking comment.

“His lungs were fully developed, so his prognosis is good”, says Morgan. He’s expected to stay in the hospital until his December 19 due date, but the family is hoping to transport him to a Utah hospital at the end of October if he’s strong enough. They have set up an account at America First Credit Union under “Haiden’s Medical Journey” to help with expenses.

“I knew that he was a functional baby and to be told that he was no longer alive was something that you always remember”, said Morgan.

Dr. Bradley Yoder, medical director of the newborn intensive care unit at the University of Utah said that a baby like Haiden born so early and so far from a hospital has a less-than-10 percent chance of survival. Little Haiden was born just 30 minutes later.