Easter Sunday brings special moment for family
Palm Coast residents Carli and Addison Wieda had originally expected baby Sloane Olivia Wieda to arrive on May 5, the same day as their son’s first birthday. However, little Sloane decided to arrive nearly six weeks early on March 27 instead.
Born at 34 weeks, Sloane weighed in at 5 pounds, 4 ounces and was 18¼ inches long, according to a media release from Florida Hospital.
“When I went to the hospital to be examined, I did not expect them tell me my water had broken and I was being admitted,” Carli Wieda said in the release. “I was both excited and anxious to know our daughter would arrive in 24 hours or less.”
Because Sloane was born prematurely, she was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in Daytona Beach. The 16-bed Level II NICU at the medical center opened in August 2016 to care for newborns 32 weeks and older. It is the only NICU in Volusia County with private, family-centered rooms, allowing parents to remain with their babies 24 hours a day, the release states.
Easter Sunday held a particular significance this year because that was when the couple were able to hold Sloane for the first time.
“She was born on March 27, and for five days, we weren’t able to hold her,” Addison Wieda said in the release. “On Easter, we brought our son and the grandparents to see Sloane. When we were given the good news, that we could hold Sloane finally, it was a very emotional moment. I called Carli, so she could be the first to feed and hold her.”
A few days after Easter, the Wieda family received more good news: Sloane went home on April 4 and Carli is feeling well, with no complications after the delivery.
“Seeing Sloane with her big brother, Addison, is the most endearing thing we have ever seen,” Carli Wiedi said. “It truly fills our hearts with joy and love and we cannot wait to watch them grow together.”