MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — A human heart beats an average of just more than 42 million times every year.
In Taylor Jenkins’ household, each one of those life-giving pumps running through Tatum’s tiny body is a gift that defies the odds.
“She’s just a miracle,” Taylor said on Saturday where family gathered to celebrate Tatum’s first birthday at a Myrtle Beach-area swimming pool.
-
Photo courtesy of Taylor Jenkins -
Photo courtesy of Taylor Jenkins -
Photo courtesy of Taylor Jenkins -
Photo courtesy of Taylor Jenkins
Born at just 22 weeks old, doctors gave Tatum Rose about a 33% chance of survival, spending the first months of her life at the Medical University of South Carolina’s neonatal intensive care unit.
Tatum was so tiny once she was born that even the smallest complication would have meant tragedy — any resuscitation efforts were off the table if she stopped breathing because the procedure would have crushed her.
“When I went back for an emergency C-section, I woke up and had to ask if my child was alive or not,” Taylor said. “She was born at one pound.”