Premature baby finally home after 384 days in hospital 

By Emma Dunn via SWNS

A premature baby who was so tiny she could only fit in Build-A-Bear clothes is finally home after 384 days in hospital.

Little Kamerie Littlejohn, now 21 months, weighed just 1lbs 5oz when she was born at 28 weeks.

The tot was diagnosed with a rare disorder called 18p deletion which causes growth deficiencies.

Her parents, Anitra, 39, and Demarcus, 37, who works on a utilities board, were in hospital with her for more than a year before they could bring Kamerie home.

The tot is still a tiny 17lbs 5oz - smaller than her big sister Emerie's dolls - but has defied the odds to crawl, roll and sit up.

Anitra, a stay-at-home-mom, from Knoxville, Tenn., said: "We were buying Build-A-Bear clothes for Kamerie and doll clothes.

"Even now she is so small she doesn't fit a newborn shoe.

"She's still extremely small."

Anitra and Demarcus were excited when they fell pregnant with Kamerie in April 2022.

They were told Kamerie was measuring a little small but Anitra didn't worry as her eldest, Emerie, five, had been the same.

But at 22 weeks, Kamerie still wasn't growing and Anitra was offered an amniocentesis - which tests a small sample of cells from amniotic fluid - to find out what was wrong.

But Anitra decided against it as it can cause a higher risk of miscarriage.

She continued to have weekly scans until she was placed on bedrest in Fort Sanders
Regional Medical Center, Knoxville, US, in August 2022.

Anitra said: "We were very emotional at that point.

"She was very slowly growing."

The day after celebrating Emerie's birthday on August 23, 2022, doctors decided to step in.

Anitra said: "The sonographer checked her growth and I could tell something was wrong.

"She said 'I'm going to get a doctor'.

"The doctor said 'it's go time'."

Kamerie had stopped growing and as her heart rate was dropping Anitra was taken for an emergency c-section to deliver her.

Kamerie was born on at around 10am on August 24, 2022 weighing 1lbs 5oz.

Anitra said: "We didn't hear her cry.

"We got to see her an hour later when the nurse took a picture.

"She had a head full of dark hair. All I could see was her ribcage.

"She was so small."

Kamerie was diagnosed with chronic lung disease as her lungs were very underdeveloped.

After two months she still wasn't growing and only weighed around 2lbs.

In November 2022, Kamerie had chromosome testing to find out what was wrong.

The results came back and revealed she has 18p deletion - a rare genetic disorder.

Anitra said: "They said she's missing half of chromosome 18."

Doctors didn't know much about the disorder but suggest she may never walk or talk.

Anitra said: "It was a waiting game for her."

Kameire slowly gained weight and came home after 384 days in hospital in September 2023 - still weighing under 10lbs.

She came home with a tracheostomy tube for her breathing and a ventilator.

Now 17lbs 5oz and only 69cm, Kamerie is much smaller than the average 24lbs 9oz for her age.

She is still on a feeding tube and is in speech therapy but is sitting up and making progress with her mobility.

Anitra said: "It's been tough.

"It's scary all the time.

"There is still so much unknown."

Kamerie wears six to nine-month-old clothes and is smaller than her older sister's dolls.

Kamerie hasn't been able to talk yet but Anitra and Demarcus are trying to teach her sign language so she can communicate.

Anitra said: "She's like a little firecracker.

"She lets you know when she doesn't like something.

"She loves to dance."