LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Born at 24 weeks old and weighing barely more than a pound, Colsen Knox spent more than a year inside the NICU — but on Mother's Day, he finally went home.
"Colsen is home. After 431 days, he came home on Mother's Day. So that was the best gift I think I'll ever, ever get. He's been the best, happiest boy since he's been home," his mother, Savannah Jones, said.
For more than a year, Jones and her family lived through surgeries, setbacks, and uncertainty.
"When this all first happened, honestly, I didn't think Colsen was ever gonna make it out of the NICU," Jones said.
But the tiny baby kept proving everyone wrong.
"We thought there would be an adjustment period with him coming home and that he would struggle, but he's just been happy as can be," Jones said.
At home, the family recreated some of the comforts Colsen loved in the NICU.
"He has this aquarium for bedtime. It lights up, it's really a popular toy. And he, I turned it on the first night and he started kicking his legs and got excited," Jones said.
Leaving the University of Kentucky was emotional; not just because they were finally going home, but because the nurses and staff had become family after 431 days together.
"I was obviously so, so excited to leave on Sunday, but also my heart was broken because I'm like this is our family. These are the people that we've spent the last 431 days with," Jones said.
Now the family is looking ahead to a summer full of firsts, including a planned trip to the Louisville Zoo.
"Our goal this summer really is just to include him and make him feel just like any other kid and have a good time," Jones said.
