Kaikohe mum Bo-Deene Stephens talks about her baby Souljah-Rhythm, who was born four months premature weighing just 815g, and the support her home town has shown her
A "miracle baby" who has survived against the odds after he was born four months premature at a tiny 815g is now home in Kaikohe with his proud mum.
Souljah-Rhythm Sam Edwards was born on Christmas Eve at 24 weeks - 26 weeks is usually considered the minimum for survival - to first-time mother Bo-Deene Stephens.
The pair spent 115 days in hospital and had their first day out in public on Wednesday when Ms Stephens, a teacher aide and hiphop instructor, took him along when she judged a dance competition.
Little Souljah is dwarfed by his mum's finger.
He is still on oxygen and sleeps with a device that alerts his mum if he stops breathing, but is otherwise doing well.
Souljah was named after a cousin who died in 2015 but the little battler has already more than lived up to his name.
Bo-Deene Stephens and baby Souljah-Rhythm Sam Edwards, who was born four months premature on Christmas Eve 2016.
Ms Stephens, 27, said she was Christmas shopping in Kerikeri when she started getting severe pains. At that time she had no idea she was going into labour.
Souljah's father, Tyson Edwards, drove her to a GP, then to hospital in Kawakawa, and finally to Whangarei. There a scan showed the baby was in the birth position and ready to make his exit. By then the contractions were five minutes apart.
She was bundled into a helicopter and flown to Auckland City Hospital where Souljah was born at 3am on December 24. He wasn't breathing so she had no chance to hold him before he was whisked away for CPR.
An hour later she was wheeled in to the neo-natal intensive care unit to see him. He weighed just 815g, one eye was still fused shut and his skin was transparent. He needed a ventilator to breathe and was covered in tubes and wires.
Ms Stephens was told the first three days were the honeymoon, then she had to brace herself for the possibility of losing him. He was a week old before she was able to hold him.
Bo-Deene Stephens holds baby Souljah for the first time.
"I didn't really feel like a mum until then because I didn't get to hold him. For the first time I felt he was my baby."
As he put on weight she was able to hold him more often but he was three months old before she could kiss him.
Ms Stephens stayed at Ronald McDonald House but was troubled by anxiety and helplessness. Support from her home town helped her through, she said.
"It felt like all of Kaikohe was messaging me and supporting me ... Everyone was praying: our church, my family, my town. The support blew me away."
She was contacted by Danielle Smith, the Kaikohe-born former world boxing champion who now owns a gym in Auckland, who gave her private training sessions to get her out of hospital.
Ms Smith also organised a series of fundraisers to make sure Ms Stephens didn't lose her Hush Dance Studio while she was in hospital and unable to pay rent on the building. About 30 children aged 4-16 attended her classes and would've been disappointed if it had closed.
After two months mother and baby were transferred to Whangarei Hospital and after four months they finally went home. He now weighs 5.4kg, roughly where he'd be if he was born on his due date of April 13.
Souljah may have to keep living up to his name because he's likely to have lung problems for life but his mum's just happy he's made it so far. Most boys born so premature don't survive, she said.
