Allegra Lategan, South Africa’s most premature infant, according to reports, was born at 22 weeks gestation more than a decade ago. Today, she is thriving as a newly-minted 13-year-old girl who enjoys spending time with her family, playing video games, and participating in choir and other school activities.
Born the length of a pen in 2011, Allegra faced many challenges as she was cared for by her parents and medical staff. Images of Allegra immediately after birth reveal a bright red baby weighing about 553 grams. Through the ingenuity of her doctors, she survived her first three days in an off-the-shelf ziplock bag in order to protect and moisturize her paper-thin skin.
Today, Allegra is a happy teenager who has been a beacon of hope for parents. Allegra’s mother, Chantal, told News24, “We’d ask ourselves, ‘Will she be able to walk, to speak? Will her brain develop to the point where she can take in information and learn?’” But, thankfully, “It all worked out.”
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Though Allegra was diagnosed with difficulty hearing due to her prematurity, she was fitted with a cochlear implant. She was also diagnosed with autism in 2019.
Despite any challenges she has faced, Allegra has received numerous awards from her school.
“Allegra received a medal along with a certificate at the school’s prize-giving ceremony. She received it for character and leadership qualities. She also received a special award for Afrikaans as a first language. We are all proud of her because, despite her hearing and autism challenges, she has made progress,” said her mother.
She added, “Looking back at the things we worried about when she was little, [the present] gives me hope.”
According to her neonatal doctors, “Absolute vigilance and a great deal of time and dedicated care is needed” when working with an extremely premature infant. Their work “is very labour and time intensive” but they said they “nevertheless love what we do.” In their declaration acknowledging World Prematurity Awareness Month, the South African government reported that about 15 million or 1 in 10 children are born prematurely each year around the globe. In South Africa, that statistic is 1 in 7.
“We always try to keep Allegra’s story positive,” said Chantel. “Her story is one of hope.”
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