Little Feet Making Big Strides

Excerpted from a May 2021 publication by UT Health's Out In Front Magazine

Separated by the glass barrier of the neonatal incubator, Aisha Atkinson watched over her newborn son, Aries, longing to hold him, to touch him, to love him. Entangled by tubes and wires, he fought for his life while an orchestra of machines whirred in the background.

“You’re going hear a lot of difficult things, baby, but just keep fighting so you can make it home to us,” Aisha recalls telling him. “I was saying this to him, but in a way, I was also saying it to myself.”

Born at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital on November 11, 2017, at 23 weeks gestation, Aries weighed just one pound, 11 ounces—small enough to fit into the palm of a hand. During birth, he suffered two massive brain bleeds, leading to the development of hydrocephalus, a dangerous buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. The damage to his brain also caused him to develop cerebral palsy, a neurological condition that affects mobility and posture. Additionally, Aries may face seizures and neurological issues throughout his life.