Doctors Gave Baby Richard a Zero Percent Chance of Survival—Now He’s Thriving

When Baby Richard was born, he was so small, doctors gave him a zero percent chance of surviving. Richard made his way into the world weighing less than just one pound.

In an interview with WCCO, Richard’s mom, Beth Hutchinson, admitted that their son’s birth was nothing like they expected it would be. Much like their journey toward conceiving a child.

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Doctors Gave Baby Richard a Zero Percent Chance of Survival—Now He's Thriving
WCCO

The first few months of Beth’s pregnancy was “smooth sailing,” WCCO reports. But soon after, things got difficult for Beth and her husband Rick. As Beth told WCCO, she couldn’t get comfortable and she couldn’t sleep. And when it all got to be too much, she went to the hospital to make sure everything was okay.

And that’s when her doctor told her she was in labor. Beth wasn’t even 21 weeks pregnant yet. “I didn’t know what to think. ‘He can’t come yet.’ I wasn’t even at the halfway point of my pregnancy,” Beth admitted.

Doctors Gave Baby Richard a Zero Percent Chance of Survival—Now He's Thriving
WCCO

Doctors Tell Beth and Rick That Baby Richard Has a Zero-Percent Chance of Surviving

Children’s Minnesota neonatologist Dr. Stacy Kern knew the outcome wasn’t good. “We know that babies born at 21 weeks usually have a poor prognosis,” the doctor explained to WCCO. “So actually the family was given a 0% chance for baby Richard.”

And yet, despite that news, Beth and Rick held on to hope, because, in their heart of hearts, they knew their little man was going to keep fighting for as long as he could. The little boy they had always dreamed of was strong, and they knew it before ever having met him.

Doctors Gave Baby Richard a Zero Percent Chance of Survival—Now He's Thriving
WCCO

“We always had that fear, but deep down we knew that he was going to keep going, he was going to surprise everybody,” the proud parents admitted. And that’s exactly what he did.

From the start, Baby Richard “surpassed everyone’s expectation again and again.” Even Dr. Kern told WCCO that they “have all learned a ton from taking care of” Richard.

Now, just nine months later, Richard went from weighing less than 1 pound to now weighing 13 pounds. “When he was born he could fit in my hand, and now look at him,” Rick said while also admitting that he doesn’t think he could endure what his son has already endured in just nine months of life.

In fact, Richard’s birth and miraculous story of survival may just make him the smallest baby to ever survive.

Now, Richard is home and is being weaned off of oxygen as he continues to growing and tackle teething. “To watch Richard grow and watch him develop into this happy little amazing person, there’s just no feeling like it,” his dad said, while his mom added. “He was 10.63 inches at birth and now he is 24 inches long. He’s definitely a miracle.”

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