World Prematurity Day 2020
Every year in Canada, 30,000 babies like Mirjana Kajganic are born prematurely. Born at 29 weeks and weighing about 1.5 kg (three pounds and six ounces), Mirjana has come a long way since first arriving at our Special Care Nursery, where she received around-the-clock care from a team of healthcare experts for 85 days, and learned to suck, swallow, and breathe.
“Watching her in an incubator, with all those hookups, was very difficult,” Mirjana’s mom Christina Kajganic says. “When I first got to St. Joe’s, I was a wreck and had so many questions. The nurses explained everything and every day I got stronger, and more educated about prematurity and Mirjana. The nurses helped me so much.”
Much to the delight of her sister Mia, 4, who has been anxiously waiting to meet her sibling, Mirjana “graduated” from the special care nursery this week and went home with her mom and dad, Milorad Kajganic, weighing nearly 4.5 kg (10 pounds).
Asked her advice to other preemie parents, Christina says, “It’s a long road. Ask questions, get educated, and you will be able to take care of your baby. And don’t forget to take care of yourself. Trust that your baby is in good hands.”