Stacy Gooden-Crandle was eight days from turning 27 when her son Derick unexpectedly made his appearance, four months early! She says, “I had a normal pregnancy with Derick. Nothing was abnormal, and there were no complications prior to the date he was born.”
Doctors said that Derick only had a 1% chance of survival, but Stacy said she wanted everything done to try to save her son. Derick was born at just 2 lbs., 9 oz. without a heartbeat and was hospitalized at the Memorial Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for nearly five months. Once he was released to go home, medical treatment consisted of numerous appointments each week, but slowly Derick's health began to improve.
Starting at age 6, Derick was considered comparable with his peers and showed no additional signs of developmental delays. Stacy reflects, “He still suffered from respiratory illness and had semi-annual CT/MRI scans, but he had made so much progress in those six years. I think a lot of the credit for getting him caught up was because he was enrolled in the First Steps Program (an Early Intervention Program offered through the Mississippi State Department of Health).”
When asked what they would share with families who are experiencing a similar situation, Stacy said, “Be an advocate for your baby, enjoy every moment, and celebrate every win no matter how little it may be. Stay positive while you’re visiting your baby and know that God is a healer. My faith has gotten me through a lot of difficult moments while my baby was in the hospital,” Stacy says. Amen!
By-the-way, her little preemie grew up to 6’ 3” and weighs 256 pounds! Oh, and not only did Derick Hall play football, he was just drafted by the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL!