By Emily Cipriano

Anthony was anxious to come into this world! My water broke at 24 weeks- and the odds for little Anthony surviving were slim. So – we made a deal…. I sat in the emergency room talking to the little baby inside my belly…. and said “I can do this if you can”.

I remained in Abington Hospital for well over a month. Anthony stayed put in my now dry belly.. both of us in extreme pain and at extreme risk for deadly infection. But it didn't matter – we had made our first mommy and son promise.

At 29 weeks the damage sustained to my body could not hold my baby inside any longer. So he arrived February 18th weighing in at 2lbs 5oz. He was on complete life support for almost a week. The damage sustained to my body was horrific. I had to have a hysterectomy, 3 blood tranfusions, and my heart stopped twice – landing me in the ICU not able to meet the little man I already knew so well. Almost a week later – I met him. Hooked up to all of the life support machines…. we were both bruised and battered.

Again we made a promise… I can do this if you can! I was released from the hospital ten days later… while Anthony remained for 13 weeks total. We went through too many ups and downs to count…. but in the end – weighing in at 5lbs – I took my baby home. Against all odds and defying the medical books – we walked out together.

Having hit an insurance cap on June 1st, the Cipriano Family is holding a unique fundraiser on November 3rd to help cover the significant healthcare expenses. 

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