Leondre Isaiah Moses Watson was born on April 22, 2013 at just 24 weeks old. The Cayman Islands native weighed only 1lb, 9oz. A week after his birth, he was flown to Nicklaus Children's Hospital, formerly Miami Children's Hospital, to receive advanced care in the hospital’s Level 1 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). His mother, Annisa Windett, recalls the moment that she arrived with her new baby boy in Miami. “I was really scared and didn’t know what to expect. We didn’t have any family here and didn’t know how long we would need to stay,” she said.
Windett and her family connected with the Global Health Department at Nicklaus Children's Hospital, which provides coordinated and comprehensive services for international families. The Global Health team assisted the family with locating temporary housing near the hospital, one of the many services that international families can expect at Nicklaus Children's Hospital.
“It was wonderful having a home away from home while our son was there,” said Annisa.
Leondre spent four months in the NICU and where he underwent blood transfusions, was placed on ventilation, and underwent CPAP, It was a long ride but Annisa says he was a fighter. The nurses even nicknamed him a strong little ninja.
After four months of intensive care, Leondre was healthy enough to go back to his home in the Cayman Islands. Leondre is now a vibrant two-year-old. “He is playing, talking, walking and causing a little trouble at home. But I wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Annisa. “Thank you to all the nurses and Doctors at Nicklaus Children's Hospital. You are truly miracle workers,” she said.