Mom and Baby From Viral 'Bun in the Oven' Video Could Be Going Home Soon
Arkell Graves and Dana Griffin-Graves became internet sensations last October after a video the couple posted went viral.
The clip, which showed Dana announcing her pregnancy by leaving buns and ultrasound photos in the oven for Arkell to find, was especially poignant because the pair had been trying for a child for more than a decade. Arkell's emotional reaction had many viewers shedding their own tears of joy for the family.
Then, the story took a tragic turn when Dana, 41, had to deliver the baby boy via C-section at just 24 weeks. The pregnancy had caused Dana's blood pressure to skyrocket to near-fatal levels. "Her body has endured all it can take," Arkell wrote on Facebook.
Kaleb Arkell Graves was born 16 weeks premature on Oct. 20, 2015. Following the delivery, both mom and baby were in critical condition
"Day two they told me he was not going to make it through the night," Dana told People. "They told me I should hold him and say my goodbyes. It was so heartbreaking."
But this story has a happy ending: After spending 143 days in the NICU, suffering from chronic lung disease and undergoing heart surgery, among other procedures, Kaleb is now 20 weeks old and weighs six pounds, People reports.
For now, he's still in the hospital, where staffers have taken to calling him a "miracle" baby, but should be going home soon. The family will continue to share updates on their Facebook page, Arkell & Dana's Baby Bun.
Kaleb is the Virginia couple's first biological child after 17 years of marriage and four miscarriages. He joins older brother Keelyn, 14, who is adopted.
Take a look at this sweet little survivor:
[via People]
