(Oregon Right to Life) — The world’s most premature baby celebrated his first birthday this month, marking a notable achievement for life-saving neonatal care and a powerful reminder of the humanity of the unborn.
Iowa baby Nash Keen, born 133 days premature at just 21 weeks and 10 hours gestation, celebrated his first birthday on July 5, 2025. The milestone makes him the most premature baby ever to survive – a distinction officially recognized by the Guinness World Records.
Pro-life advocates have responded to the heart-warming story of Nash’s survival by celebrating Nash’s life and pointing out his humanity during all stages of development.
“His life is a living testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the undeniable value of every single life, no matter how small,” March for Life said in a post on X. “Congratulations, Nash. You are a miracle, a fighter, and a reminder that every life is a gift!”
“So beautiful,” Live Action founder and CEO Lila Rose wrote. “Age doesn’t determine a person’s humanity or worth. Every child is infinitely precious.”
From the beginning, Nash’s life seemed nothing short of a miracle.
His parents, Mollie and Randall Keen, were unsure they would be able to have children. Mollie had suffered a miscarriage with Nash’s sister at 18 weeks gestation and was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and a condition that causes the uterus to open too early. Despite her diagnoses, six months after her miscarriage, she discovered she was pregnant with Nash – but she knew something was wrong when she discovered at her 20-week ultrasound that she was already two centimeters dilated.
“We were devastated. We thought we were going through the exact same thing, and we thought we were going to lose this baby,” Mollie told the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital (UIHC), where she later gave birth to Nash. “At that point, I didn’t know what I could do to turn things around.”
Nash’s arrival would come swiftly.
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Shortly after discovering that the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital had begun performing life-saving care for babies at 21 weeks gestation, Mollie began experiencing strong contractions. She and Randall traveled to Iowa City, arrived at the hospital, and were given a room, according to the UIHC report. Not long after, Mollie’s water broke.
The neonatal team worked hard to delay labor, but Nash’s arrival wouldn’t be slowed down for long. Hospital staff, including high-risk obstetrician Malinda Schaefer, MD, PhD, delivered the ten-ounce baby boy on July 5, 2024, hours after Mollie passed the 21-week mark with Nash.
Hospital staff expressed deep concern and caution about Nash’s chances of survival at such an early stage of development, and he was diagnosed with numerous health issues, including heart conditions. Still, with the attentive help of the neonatal unit, the tiny boy defied the most dire predictions.
“Around the one-month mark, we all began to breathe a little easier,” neonatologist Amy Stanford, MD, said, according to the article. “While we knew Nash still had a long journey ahead, that was the point when we started to feel more confident that he had a real chance of going home.”
“They kept his heart going. They were on top of it every step of the way. They really gave him a fighting chance,” Randall Keen told IUHC. “They were really honest with us during the whole journey about what his chances looked like. They made sure we were well-informed and kept us involved in all the decision-making.”
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After 189 days in the NICU, during which he experienced numerous health scares, including sudden drops in his vital signs, Nash was finally healthy enough to go home with his parents.
Reaching his first birthday was a major milestone for Nash, his family, and the state of modern neonatal care.
The one-year-old is still being weaned off oxygen, has chronic pulmonary hypertension, and has a minor heart defect, per the report. But his care team at Stead Family Children’s Hospital, where he still receives regular check-ups, continues to look after him as he grows stronger – and anticipates that he’ll overcome his heart defect as he gets older.
“I just hope that Nash realizes just how loved he is and how many people have cheered him on from the very beginning,” Nash’s mom told IUHC. “I want him to grow up and be healthy, happy, and confident in who he is. I want him to see his story as a source of strength.”
Nash’s story highlights the ever-increasing capacity of modern strategies and technology to sustain life even in extremely small and vulnerable babies. It also underscores the humanity of the unborn even as thousands of babies Nash’s age are tragically killed through abortion.
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Every year, more than 15,000 abortions are estimated to take place at or after 20 weeks gestation in the U.S.
In Oregon, 334 abortions were performed at 21 weeks gestation or later in 2023, more than twice as many as were carried out the year prior.
Though pro-abortion activists often claim that later abortions are only performed in the case of fatal fetal conditions or to save the life of the mother, abortion is never medically necessary. Moreover, existing data suggests that most late-term abortions are performed for the same reasons earlier abortions are carried out – not because of life endangerment or fatal fetal conditions.
