'Tiny But Mighty' Baby Born 12 Weeks Early Making Great Strides

CUTCHOGUE, NY — A baby born 12 weeks early is making great strides, as the "tiny but mighty" little girl grows stronger every day.

"Some were born to be lucky," said Jess Dunne and Christian Schott, writing on social media about their baby Nova Rae Schott. "Some were born to be fighters."

As a daily reminder of how strong she is, Dunne said Baby Nova, born at 1 lb., 3 oz. and 9 inches long, now weighs 2 lbs., 13 oz. and is 15 inches long at six weeks old.

In addition, Dunne said, nurses said yesterday that the continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine, should be off soon, "which means bottle feeding can start."

Nova, she said, needs to complete four milestones before she can go home, including breathing on her own, maintaining her body temperature, feeding with a bottle, and taking a one-hour car seat test.

"If baby girl keeps this up she could potentially come home before her due date on Nov. 23," Dunne said.

The journey for the new parents has been marked by emotion, Dunne said.

"It has definitely been an emotional ride; we spend our days driving mostly, which is shockingly exhausting," she said. "It’s been so hard with COVID — we are only allowed one hour each to visit a day. We were so fortunate to have a visit together last week."

But the challenges fade away with each stride their baby makes, including the day she opened her eyes for the first time.

"She truly is a miracle and is beating all the odds," Dunne said. "We are very grateful she has been progressing each day and hitting milestones quicker than we could ever expect. The positivity and prayers have definitely helped and been felt by us. We can’t wait to have her home and never let her go."

Dunne, a popular chef on the North Fork and co-founder of North Fork Roasting Co., said she and Schott named their baby Nova Rae Schott, because, according to its definition, a "supernova" is a powerful and brilliant stellar explosion.

And that, Dunne said, is exactly how she describes her child, fighting fiercely in the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset.

From the first, Dunne, who lives on the North Fork and grew up in Southold, has shared the emotional journey of giving birth to a premature baby with others on social media, updating the many praying for Nova Rae with photos and posts about her progress.

The community, in turn, has opened its arms to carry her through: A GoFundMe page, "Super Nova Rae," was created by Dunne's friend Madison Fender.

"On Monday, August 31 at 9:50 pm, Nova Rae was born 12 weeks early," the page said. "She was delivered at 28 weeks and weighed 1 lb., 3 oz., and was only 9 inches long, making her a micro preemie."

Fender added: "2020 has been quite the year, I think we can all agree on that! Jess met Christian after a year of unexpected chaos and essentially having to 'start life over.'"

Their love, she said, grew quickly and strongly, and soon they were blessed with the news of a baby girl on the way.

"This was an exciting surprise for all of us and we couldn't wait to meet baby Nova. Jess has wanted to be a mother for as long as she can remember, and feels it was her purpose in life," Fender said.

Jess' pregnancy, she said, was going well at first but, as the weeks progressed, she began suffering from severe migraines. And her doctors were concerned about her blood pressure rising, making her at risk for superimposed preeclampsia, a "dangerous pregnancy complication" characterized by high blood pressure that can lead to serious, even fatal, complications for both the mother and baby, Fender said.

In early August, Jess was admitted into the hospital multiple times for having "stroke level" high blood pressure.

"Doctors went back and forth on whether or not to deliver, but the most important thing was to keep the baby cooking in the oven as long as possible," Fender said. "After two weeks of uncertainty and trips to the ER . . . the decision was made and baby Nova entered the world!"

The journey, she added, has been "traumatic" for Jess and Christian. "And as exciting as it is to be able to watch Nova grow, they are just getting started with the long haul," Fender wrote. "Medical expenses have begun to roll in," she said, with Dunne and Schott unable to work as they keep watch over their newborn.

In addition, basic expenses, such as gas and hospital parking, have been adding up, Fender said, and being able to visit their daughter every day while keeping a roof over their heads is a top priority.

But, she added, the support of friends and family has been overwhelming. "We have had a lot of people reach out offering to help in any way they can which is why I decided to create this page," she said. "Any little bit will help give this new family peace of mind so they can focus on their baby girl growing strong and healthy. She is a fighter, she is strong, she is living up to her name: Super Nova! Though she be but little, she is fierce."

Dunne said she has tried to be open about the couple's experience with their preemie because it helps them to stay positive, knowing so many people are rooting for them in the community.

And, she said, her story has touched others: "It's so amazing. So many people have reached out to me all over the world — based on hashtags I've been using on Instagram — telling me their stories. It's inspiring."

Friends and family are rallying to cheer on Nova, Dunne said.

"We feel the power of everyone's support and prayers," she said. "We are taking it day by day, but she is making us so proud."

Already, there have been milestones, holding their baby, watching her tiny hand "wave," seeing her open her eyes and cuddle close.

At home, Baby Nova's nursery is ready, filled with her daddy's teddy bear Corduroy Batman Teddy Freddy, a Star Wars custom blanket, and plants.

"It helps doing a little work on her room knowing that one day soon enough she will be home," Dunne said.

Nova Rae's story can be found on Instagram here.

To donate to the GoFundMe, click here.

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