Thursday, November 17, 2016 is World Prematurity Day, and the entire month of November is set aside for premature awareness. Every year, an estimated 15 million babies across the world are born premature, which is before 37 weeks. In October of 2016, my very own nephews were born at only 25 weeks, and are currently thriving in the neonatal intensive care unit at the University of Tennessee. Here are just a few more stories of those little superheroes that bless this earth a little earlier than normal.

Liam Aydam

It is hard to imagine giving birth to a baby that could fit in the palm of your hand and weighs less than a pound of your favorite fruit, but on March 9, 2016, Donna Nottingham did just that.

Due to the baby's heart rate dropping, at only twenty-seven weeks and three days, little Liam Aydam was born via emergency cesarean. He weighed a mere 13.9 ounces, which is two ounces shy of a pound. Donna had an insufficient placenta and restricted cord flow which could have contributed to baby Liam's heart rate dropping.

His extremely low birth weight was caused by severe intrauterine growth restriction and made him not only the smallest surviving baby to be born at the University of Kentucky, but also the second smallest baby in the state, and part of the top one hundred smallest babies in the world.

Eight months later, the little guy is not so little anymore! Liam now weighs a strong and sturdy 14 pounds! He is still in the neonatal intensive care unit and has, unfortunately, never been home. He has been on the release twice but both times he caught a virus which lengthened his stay and caused pulmonary hypertension. Liam is still on a ventilator and is intubated due to BPD and Secondary PPHN but they have high hopes of soon placing a trach, instead of the traditional ventilator.

He is definitely a happy little guy who has a bright future ahead of him. Liam has a bright, beautiful smile that's enough to make anyone smile right along with him!

Daniel Garrett

Rhonda Lyliston had a normal, healthy pregnancy until around her 24th week when she started feeling some discomfort. Being a first time mother, she went in for a check-up and was immediately sent for an emergency cesarean, due to her cervix dilating. Little Daniel Garrett was born on January 20th 1995 at 24 weeks, weighing just over 3 pounds. Unfortunately, like a lot of premature babies, this doesn't have a happy ending. Daniel went to be with Jesus on the same day he was born. The doctors said Rhonda delivered early due to an incompetent cervix, something that would again plague her in the future. This time with a happy ending.

Two years after losing Daniel Garrett, Rhonda had a beautiful 8 pound 8-ounce baby girl, but that's not all. Twelve years later, they added another little beauty to their family when they adopted a sweet baby girl.

Harper Lucille

At 18 weeks, Taylor Collins started feeling light headed and weak, thankfully she had a doctor's appointment the next day. After running some tests, Taylor was diagnosed with hypertension and placed on bed rest. Her hypertension soon turned into preeclampsia, which resulted in her liver and kidneys trying to shut down. At 34 weeks and 2 days, baby Harper Lucille was born weighing 5 pounds and 8 ounces.

At first, Harper struggled to eat and lost several ounces. She had a feeding tube, an IV and required oxygen. After only seven days in the neonatal intensive care unit, Harper was able to come home and is now three months old, weighs ten pounds and is absolutely perfect.

Shawn Hailey

On August 16, 2007, Jennifer Reynolds received the news that no mother wants to hear. She had preeclampsia and would be delivering her baby somewhere between 22 and 24 weeks. That very day Shawn Hailey was born.

Shawn weighed 2 pounds and 4 ounces and was 15 inches long. Amazingly, baby Shawn required absolutely no ventilator! Even with hyaline membrane disease! Fifty days after her birth, she was released from the hospital, weighing only 4 pounds and 12 ounces.

Now, nine years later, Shawn has little to no lasting effects from her premature birth. She's an active, very smart nine-year-old, who continues to make the Dean's List in school, and her mama her smile.

Mason James

Finding out that you are basically allergic to your unborn baby is absolutely terrifying. For Emily Thomas, that became a reality. At 5 weeks pregnant, 16-year-old Emily was told that her body was trying to abort her baby due to incompatible blood types. The only solution was Rogam shots and frequent trips to the hospital.

At 34 weeks, Emily's water broke, which she describes as the scariest thing she has ever experienced. On November 23, 2013, Mason James was born weighing 6 pounds and 1 ounce and was 19 and a quarter inches long.

Due to insufficient surfactant levels in his lungs, Mason had a difficult time breathing but thankfully only had to spend one week in the neonatal intensive care unit. Fast forward 2 years and Mason is the picture perfect child. He's healthy, active, and in Emily's words, "huge." I know first hand how adorable Mason is, and how blessed Emily has been to have this little man.

Hannah Faith, Macie Hope, & Maddie Grace

Michelle Shelley has three beautiful daughters, all of which were premature. One single birth, one set of twins, and three miracles has made this family extremely blessed. The oldest miracle, Hannah Faith, was born at 31 weeks on November 6, 1997, weighting 3 pounds and 2 ounces.

Hannah suffered from a severe brain bleed that, without a shunt, should have left her unable to walk, talk, eat, or function like a normal a child. Doctors even said that Down Syndrome was a great possibility. Hannah Faith did not have that shunt.

Eleven years later, Michelle found herself in a similar situation. This time however, she was pregnant with twins. She had the picture perfect pregnancy until the day after Christmas 2010. She woke up that morning cramping and decided that she should go to the hospital. When she arrived, her cervix was thinning and soon after, her water broke.

At 27 weeks, little Macie Hope was born vaginally, weighing 2 pounds and 2 ounces. Soon after, Maddie Grace's heart began dropped and she was delivered via emergency cesarean weighing 2 pounds and 5 ounces. They were immediately transported to the University of Kentucky Children's Hospital where they stayed for sixty-nine days.

Both babies suffered brain bleeds, but unlike Hannah, a shunt was never mentioned. Around 3-4 days after they were born, doctors discovered that Maddie's heart ventricle was open and leaking blood into her lungs. They did not expect her to survive. Also, while in the hospital, Macie contracted E.Coli.

This story seems like something that ends terribly, but Hannah is now 19 years old, in college, and perfectly healthy. She graduated high school 4.5 GPA and has accomplished everything doctors said she wouldn't. As for Maddie and Macie, both girls are now 5 years old and also in perfect health. Their middle names, Faith, Hope, and Grace, say so much about their journeys from birth, to where they are now.