A newborn baby is finally home from the NICU after being born prematurely at 25 weeks when his mother was horrifically stabbed by a mentally ill homeless person.
Valerie Kasper, 34, was walking on a trail near her car in Atlanta, Georgia in June when the man stabbed her multiple times in the back, leaving her in ‘so much pain’ and in need of multiple surgeries, including an emergency C-section.
Her son Theodore Jude was born on June 5 weighing just two pounds, and spent the next five months in the NICU — where he’d need four surgeries of his own and ongoing treatment.
But on October 8, Theodore — who still requires oxygen, a feeding tube, and a heart monitor — came home for the first time to his besotted parents.
A newborn baby is finally home from the NICU after being born prematurely at 25 weeks when his mother was horrifically stabbed by a mentally ill homeless person
Valerie Kasper, 34, was walking on a trail near her car in Atlanta, Georgia in June when the man stabbed her multiple times in the back
Just 25 weeks along, Kasper — who was also with her three-year-old son — underwent an emergency C-section
According to Good Morning America, Kasper was also with her three-year-old son Benjamin when the attack occurred near the Peachtree Creek Greenway’.
Assailant Christopher Jones, 30, stabbed her four times, giving her injuries that required multiple surgeries.
‘My life was almost taken. Both my babies’ lives were almost taken,’ Kasper told Fox5 Atlanta. ‘I was like feet away from my car and he ran up behind m.
‘They had to repair my colon and my liver. But they didn’t have to remove anything and it wasn’t severe. Somehow, you can get stabbed four times and misses everything. It was a miracle.’
She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed a C-section to deliver her baby early at 25 weeks. Babies are considered viable after 24 weeks.
‘The trauma of the attack was pretty intense obviously and the moment of going into surgery was just as scary,’ she told GMA. ‘When I went into surgery I was crying, saying, “Save my baby and save my uterus,’ because I thought if he didn’t make it, I would want to have another baby.”‘
Theodore needed multiple surgeries, with repairs to his colon and liver, which both sustained damage in the stabbing attack.
Kasper first got to see her baby 24 hours after he was born, but was ‘in so much pain that I couldn’t handle sitting in the wheelchair and I almost passed out in the NICU’
Theodore needed multiple surgeries, with repairs to his colon and liver, which both sustained damage in the stabbing attack
He spent five whole months in the hospital getting well enough to be discharged
Kasper didn’t get to hold her baby until three weeks after he was born, and that was still difficult
Kasper first got to see her baby 24 hours after he was born, but was ‘in so much pain that I couldn’t handle sitting in the wheelchair and I almost passed out in the NICU.’
She required a week of recovery in the hospital and was discharged on June 12 — but her baby still had a long road ahead.
He was transferred to another hospital for surgery, being operated on four times in all.
Kasper didn’t get to hold her baby until three weeks after he was born, and that was still difficult.
‘I was sitting there kind of in pain, wanting to enjoy the moment but also having to be aware of my own limitations,’ she said.
Finally, on October 8, he was discharged from Children’s Hospital of Atlanta at Egleston, where nurses lined the hallway to give him a parade.
Kasper said she and her partner, Steven Barkdoll, are both ‘super grateful.’
Finally, on October 8, he was discharged from Children’s Hospital of Atlanta at Egleston, where nurses lined the hallway to give him a parade
Kasper required multiple surgeries and is still in a lot of pain
Kasper still suffers from pain and limited mobility, while Theodore has his own health problems. In addition to his oxygen, feeding tube, and heart monitor, he takes several medications and needs lots of doctor’s appointments
But Kasper said that despite the stress, he’s ‘a cutie pie and we love all the snuggles’
She also said that her older son was excited to finally meet his little brother, and ran over to greet him.
Kasper still suffers from pain and limited mobility, while Theodore has his own health problems. In addition to his oxygen, feeding tube, and heart monitor, he takes several medications and needs lots of doctor’s appointments.
But Kasper said that despite the stress, he’s ‘a cutie pie and we love all the snuggles.’
‘We are hoping and praying he thrives at home!’ the proud parents wrote on a GoFundMe page.
Meanwhile, her attacker was arrested five days later and denied bail on assault charges brought against him in June, with prosecutors describing him as ‘clearly a danger to society.’
Police said they believed ‘mental illness played a role’ in the attack.
In August, he was indicted on charges of criminal attempt to commit murder, criminal attempt to commit feticide, aggravated assault and first-degree child cruelty.
Kasper told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: ‘I just don’t want him on the streets. I don’t know exactly what that means, I haven’t looked into it and haven’t watched the news myself because I can’t really handle it, but I’m just hoping that the charges are significant.’