This young Richo has a Tiger's fighting spirit Marianne Betts
Herald Sun
October 27, 2010 KIAN Richardson has beaten all the odds just to make it to seven months old.
And to the joy of his parents he's gone home for the first time after spending 218 days in hospital, fighting to survive.
"We weren't expecting him home until Christmas, so this is like an early Christmas present," dad Evan said.
The plucky tot, a nominal Tigers fan, left Monash Children's on Tuesday for his first sleep at home in Ferntree Gully.
Kian arrived four months early in March, surprising mum Tamara in a hospital toilet. He weighed 695 grams.
Monash Children's neonatal consultant Dr Arvind Sehgal said Kian now tipped the scales at a healthy 4.5kg, and, although strong enough to leave hospital, he's expected to need oxygen for up to six months.
A nurse will visit daily to ensure the transition goes smoothly.
His lung problems mean that he'll tire more quickly in his preschool years, and be more prone to colds and flu, but he is expected to be as healthy as his friends by the time he starts school.
"He's a fighter and he's come through a long journey," Dr Sehgal said.
Born at just 23 weeks gestation, Kian was given a 40 per cent chance of survival, and he very nearly didn't make it. At two months old his lungs collapsed, and his parents were told to say their goodbyes.
Doctors allowed the couple to take him out of his humidicrib for the first time and cuddle him.
"The next day ... he went from being at death's door to having his lungs reinflate," Ms Richardson said.
His miraculous comeback baffled doctors, and his parents put it down to his first cuddles.
"He'd never experienced any positive touch before, everything had been painful," Ms Richardson said.
Tamara and Evan Richardson are grateful Kian is home at last. Picture: Jon Hargest Source: Herald Sun http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/this-young-richo-has-a-tigers-fighting-spirit/story-e6frf7kx-1225943943649
