Born at just 24 weeks’ gestation and weighing only 1 lb. 8 oz., Colsen entered the world facing an extraordinary battle from his very first moments.
Delivered on March 5, 2025, the tiny Kentucky newborn spent his earliest months receiving intensive care at Golisano Children’s at the University of Kentucky. After 145 days, doctors were finally able to remove his breathing tube—but his journey was far from over.
In total, Colsen spent an astonishing 431 days in the NICU before finally being discharged.
His mother, Savannah Jones, has spoken about the countless procedures her son endured throughout those long months. He faced frequent tests, surgeries, setbacks, and many difficult days surrounded by medical equipment. Yet there was something that continued to amaze his family.
Colsen kept smiling.
As soon as he reached the developmental stage when babies typically begin smiling, his mother said he seemed determined to share that smile with the world. Even through the hardest moments, his cheerful personality remained a source of strength for everyone around him.
Savannah and Chris Jones watched their fragile micro-preemie slowly grow stronger. By the time he was preparing to leave the hospital, Colsen weighed nearly 21 pounds and had transformed into a remarkably resilient little boy.
But the family was careful not to get too excited about the possibility of going home. After so many disappointments and postponed discharge plans, they created a special code name for the long-awaited day: “Colsen’s trip to the zoo.”
The phrase began as an inside joke inspired by the growing collection of stuffed animals they purchased for him from the hospital gift shop after difficult days. His little “zoo” was waiting for him at home in Waynesburg, Kentucky, giving the family something hopeful to look forward to without saying the words they were afraid to jinx.
While Colsen remained in the NICU, his family welcomed another baby boy, Everen, in April 2026. Because of strict hospital policies, the brothers were unable to meet until Colsen was finally strong enough to leave the hospital.
Then, on Mother’s Day 2026, after 431 days, the moment they had dreamed about finally arrived.
Colsen went home.
For the first time, he met his baby brother Everen and began life beyond the hospital walls. Although he still needed specialized medical support, including a tracheostomy, a gastrojejunostomy tube, and ongoing physical and occupational therapy, his family could finally bring him through their own front door.
For Savannah, seeing her firstborn come home was more than a milestone—it was a moment she had spent more than a year waiting and hoping for.
Colsen’s journey is a beautiful reminder of the extraordinary strength premature babies can show, and of the patience, love, and dedication of the families and medical teams who stand beside them through even the longest hospital stays.
After 431 days of waiting, Colsen finally got to begin his next adventure—at home, surrounded by his family and his very own little “zoo.”
