True Holiday Miracle of Life : Melinda Star Guido

Melinda Star Guido wes supposed to be born  today , instead she came into world  16 weeks early , one of the smallest babies ever to beat overwhaelming odds and survive . The tiny fighter , only a little a little more than half a pound at birth , now weighs 4 pounds . Doctors gave her no more than a 2 percent c hance of surival , but she is thriving and could go home on New Year's Day.

"This is truly a miracle baby," Dr.Rangasamy Ramanathan , neonatologist at the L.A. County /University of Southern California Medical Centre  said of Melinda , believed to be the thrid smallest baby to surived in the world . "Nobody thought this baby was going to survive."

Ibarra had high blood pressure during her pregnancy and had previously suffered a still birth . Ibarra and her husband , Yovani Guido , knew the baby was extremely vulnerable but pleaded with doctors to do everything they can so Melinda can live. "They don't have any other child ," added Ramanathan . So they said ,"Please try whatever you can, so that's how we started from day one."

After Melinda's delivery by C-section , she began her life in an incubator at the neonatal intensive care unit at USC Medical Centre , reciving food through a tube  and breathing with the aid of  machine . Ibarra visiting almost daily , would grip her fingers through the portholes and sleep by her bedside.I've got to give everything to the doctors , to the team , especially the nurses , because they were the most thee," said Guido at a news conference .

Melinda's parents know her now . "she's a really happy person ," says  Ibarra . She says the ordeal has been testing , and required  "faith , hope . a lot of effort ... but it's all worth it."

It's not over yet , said Dr. Sessions Cole , a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington in St.Louis and director of  the Division of Newborn Medicine , said there is a long road ahead  for babies born extremely prematurely. "For babies like Melinda , the fact she siirived and is likely to go home is a temendous accomplishment for the doctors and nurses  who cared for Melinda and her family," he said . Stoll , Cole added , problems can show up for several years after the preemies leave the hosiptal .

"The good news is that for babies who surive  one-quarter to one-third will emerge at 3 to 5 years of age as doing well," Cole said .

Melinda parents hoped to have her home for Christmas , but she's not ready yet ; She still has to get stronger and learn to bottle feed . If all goes well , Melinda could join three babies born around the world this year weighing less than a pound who made it out the hosiptal to start growing up whit their families .

"They help us to define the boundaries of hope ," said Cole . "Every baby deserves a 100%% chance to surive ."