ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - An Americus family is adjusting to life outside the hospital after a 5-month stay at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital’s NICU.

Loyal Milani Barthell was born at 23 weeks on Dec. 30 last year, about 4 months before her due date. At the time of her birth, she weighed 1 pound and 4 ounces. Her young life was made more complicated by breathing and feeding tubes.

Loyal’s mother Mary Barthell said she was hard on herself because of her daughter’s struggles.

“Yes, it make me feel like, like I wasn’t good enough or a bad parent, you know? Like, because what did I do wrong to make her come so early or, you know, just things like that. I felt devastated,” Barthell said.

Because Phoebe is the only NICU in 22 counties, Barthell had to relocate her entire family to Albany. She said they’ve adapted about as well as they could.

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“But it’s also been hard because, you know, we don’t know to many people here, you know? We don’t really have no family here, so it’s kind of difficult, but it’s been a big change, you know. We’re adjusting well,” Barthell said.

Loyal still needs feeding and oxygen tubes, but she is able to go home and is now up to 12 pounds. Barthell said she’s happy her entire family can enjoy the holidays in a comfortable space rather than a hospital.

“I am very happy that she’s home, you know? Like I said, she spent 146 days in the NICU — which is five months from the date she was born — so it’s like you never thought she would’ve came home, and the fact that now she is home and, like I said, we all can be a family. And her first birthday is coming up, so it’s actually great. Christmas is coming up. She gets to spend her first Christmas [out of the hospital], and so, yeah it’s been great,” Barthell said.

There is currently no timeline for when Loyal could possibly get off of the oxygen and feeding tubes, but the Barthell family keeps holding out hope as they remain committed to finding the answers that will help Loyal get stronger.

If you would like to support the Barthell family through monetary donations, you can do so using the family’s GoFundMe.

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