A Cleveland mom, Miya Vidal, shared her update on her preemie baby’s survival with PEOPLE. The 22-year-old mom had the smallest babies at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital. Named Essence Pickney, the baby was just 12 oz. in weight at the time of birth. Her mom said she was the size of a soda can, and she did not think that she could survive.
Vidal revealed to PEOPLE, “She was so tiny, and I didn’t know that a baby could survive being that small.” Pickney arrived early in Feb. and her mom explains it to have been a roller coaster as she was in the NICU for 153 days.
She was sent home only after intensive care and significant recovery was she sent home with her fiancé, Rufus Pickney. According to the doctors, Vidal had an intrauterine growth restriction that caused her baby’s gestational age weight to fall into the tenth percentile. At just 22 weeks of pregnancy, the doctors also found an umbilical vein varix.
Baby Was the Size of a Soda Can at Birth. Now Her Parents Are Getting Married on the Anniversary of Her Due Date (Exclusive) https://t.co/L56gLj6tyI
— People (@people) November 25, 2025
This condition prevented her daughter from getting blood and oxygen via the umbilical cord. Vidal also had preeclampsia symptoms, which are lethal to moms due to high blood pressure. The doctors had to do an emergency C-section to save her life. They transferred the miracle baby to the NICU.
Since she was not fully developed, she had a collapsed lung and respiratory failure. A neonatologist, Mohsen Farghaly, said the baby had paper-thin skin and was fragile at the time of birth. Moreover, she was so small that the equipment was too big for her.
Mohsen added, “Because of her size, even the most basic medical care required the most extraordinary precision. Every heartbeat was a triumph, every gram of weight she gained was a victory.” While Essence was fighting bravely for her life, her parents read children’s books to her that they borrowed from the hospital library.
Vidal stated, “My dad and I are heavy believers in God, so we constantly pray, or we bring our family into our NICU and have them pray over her.” When Essence gained weight and was almost 5 lbs, Vidal and Pickney were able to take her home in July.
The new mom explains, “She grows so fast, and it’s so amazing to watch her be this miracle baby who didn’t have such a high chance at survival. She’s talking, she’s cooing, she’s trying to laugh.”
Vidal also revealed that Essence does things that are past her adjusted preemie age. Her daughter has a fiery spirit and smiles a lot. And now the parents are set to get married next year on May 25, 2026, which was the original due date for Essence. The date holds meaning to them, “It’s a special day for us,” said Vidal.
