Miraculous Preemie Bucks Medical Expectations, Celebrates 1st Birthday

In a remarkable feat, Mollie and Randall Keen's son, Nash Keen, was finally able to go home in January 2025, 198 days after his birth at the Stead Family Children's Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Iowa City.

Born on July 5, 2024, at just 21 weeks and 1 day of gestation, Nash was the world's most premature baby to survive, as officially recognised by Guinness World Records. Two years prior, the Keens had lost a baby girl, McKinley, at 18 weeks of gestation.

Nash weighed a mere 285 grams (10 ounces) and measured 24 centimeters long at birth. His mother, Mollie, who also suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal disorder that can cause fertility difficulties, was diagnosed with an incompetent cervix, a condition where the lower part of the cervix begins to open too early.

The medical team at the Department of Neonatology at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, led by Patrick McNamara, M.D., division director of neonatology, provided life-saving care for Nash. The chances of his survival were initially considered slim, as no baby that young had ever survived.

The medical team quickly provided medicine to support Nash's organ development and reduce the risk of complications. Nash underwent surgery for a perforated bowel, a procedure with up to a 40% mortality rate. Despite these challenges, Nash continues to be a fighter.

Nash is still on a feeding tube and wears hearing aids. He has had some developmental delays but is getting stronger and more interactive with the help of ongoing therapy sessions. Nash continues to be monitored for ongoing health issues, including a minor heart defect, and is currently being weaned from oxygen.

Mollie Keen hopes that by the time Nash is 5 years old, no one will know that he was born so early. She wants Nash to know how loved he is and for him to grow up healthy, happy, and confident in who he is. Mollie expresses her wish for Nash, "I want him to know how much he's fought for his life and how much he's overcome. I want him to be proud of who he is and to never let his past define him."

The Keens are grateful for the care and support they received from the medical team at the Stead Family Children's Hospital. Mollie says, "We are so grateful for the care that Nash received from the team at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. They truly saved his life, and we will be forever grateful."