After a year in the hospital, baby comes home for the first time

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Chris and Christa Dickert call this the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

The last chapter’s pages have been filled with tough moments.

“We were told to be prepared for the worst very early in my pregnancy, that he just may not live on this side of heaven,” said Christa.

She got an emergency C-section 28 weeks into her pregnancy. That’s when she gave birth to a 1 pound 3 ounce baby Cooper.

“You don’t know what to expect, and we’re first-time parents, so we didn’t know what to expect already, but then complicate that with the fact he was going to be so small and so early,” said Chris.

The Dickerts have spent the last year living in the hospital with Cooper.

“It’s been a year’s worth of intensive care,” said Chris.

Cooper fought through surgeries and scares, but on Tuesday, he was ready to leave the hospital for the first time.

When the family returned to their neighborhood, they saw cars lining the street in front of their house.

“To have all those people celebrating with us, that was pretty cool,” said Chris.

The neighborhood welcomed the Dickerts back from their long journey with signs, horns honking, and cheers.

“Hard not to get choked up just to think about how far we’ve come and how far he’s come,” said Chris.

The family’s fight isn’t over yet.

Cooper has bronchopulmonary dysplasia and pulmonary hypertension. The Dickerts say he will still require 24/7 hands-on care while at home.

“It’ll be a lot of care hands-on, a lot of time invested, a lot of appointments, but the future’s bright, the future’s as bright as we can see,” said Chris.

The Dickerts are confident Cooper’s story is just going to keep getting better.

After all, the last chapter had a pretty good ending.

“We’re so blessed that we got a front-row seat to a miracle,” Christa says.

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