300 Surgeries Later 'Miracle Baby' Graduates JCS Pine Hills

Murrieta, California — Graduation is a major milestone and deserves to be celebrated! That's why Patch and T-Mobile have teamed up to recognize our community's outstanding 2024 graduates.

This submission comes from Rod Jessamy who nominated Angelique AKA Angel of Murrieta.

Graduate’s name

Angelique AKA Angel

What grade is the graduate finishing?

12

What school is your graduating student graduating from?

JCS Pine Hills- Temecula

How do you know your graduating student nominee?

Father

Tell us why they deserve to be nominated!

We named her Angelique but the NICU nurses named her Angel. Later, she’ll be known as the miracle baby. We had no idea who they were referring to when we first heard them called her that name. However, as the weeks go by, we’d soon find out how fitting a name they gave her.

Angel was born a micro-premie at 1.4 lbs at only 23 weeks gestation. Mom had complications during the pregnancy so we prayed for 23 weeks, which was the minimum back in early 2000s.

That was the first miracle. Immediately, she had breathing complications, so doctors inserted an ET tube to breathe for her. Soon, NICU doctors said she has an internal infection and because she’s so small (Texas Pete hot sauce bottle size) she will pass in next 24-hours if it doesn’t go away. They think it’s a stomach issue. And if we operate and it's wrong then it's over for certain. We had a choice, wait or operate. We operated. It was NECK intestine and her second miracle. Now her bathroom is a bag.

Still in NICU recovering, she was giving .10 vice .001 Morphine, the third miracle.

About 45 days in NICU she had kidney failure. Doctors can’t give any more meds because she’s bloated and unable to urinate. Doctors said by early morning she will pass. At 1:47 am, she wet the entire little bed down. This was her fourth miracle only a few weeks old.

Six months later she left the NICU. She had a TRACH breathing tube, which mom and I changed together weekly. One weekend, we couldn’t get her TRACH in. She went limp and passed out in our arms. While she was unconscious, I quickly forced in the breathing tube into her neck. That was miracle number five.

Miracle number six and seven are the worst moments of our lives. At three years old, she’s making it in the world. Suddenly, during a routine airway surgery, she had a fire explosion from oxygen and laser inside her neck. Finally, doctors said it looks bad and her chances are 50/50 if she continues on this path. Finally, they did a blood exchange ECHMO. It worked and she turned it around that same day.

She walked into the hospital and didn’t leave for months and when she did, she had no voice. She didn’t know and finally when she woke up weeks later and tried to talk and had no words. Her face said it all.

And there were many more time as a teen her TRACH fell out, or something scary but our miracle baby pulled through.

It turns out, Angel is not only her name but she also has the mannerisms of a sweet Angel. Kind, gentle, loving and as fragile and sweet as an angel. She’s also a great artist and wants to pursue a career in drawing, art as a cartoonist.

Over the decades, she had over 300 surgeries, sleeps with equipment and plenty of medication. Missing school too many months to count in the school year for eye, heart, stomach, neck, voice etc. So her holding a High School diploma and walking across that stage this week is just another miracle I’ve lost track.

What's one thing you want everyone to know about your graduating student nominee?

She’s a fighter

Congratulations on your achievements, and all of our best wishes to you in the future, Angelique AKA Angel!

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