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A video of a Texas father singing a worship song to his premature son, who had a very low survival rate, is going viral on social media. The dad, Daniel Johnson, posted the heartwarming clip online with the caption, “Proof that God is faithful.”
Johnson wrote of his son, Remington Hayze Johnson, “Born 4 months early and given a 21 percent chance of survival. Today, we are 2 1/2 months old, giving God all the praise He deserves.” Daniel is singing “Hallelujah Here Below” by Elevation Worship. Remington responded to his father’s singing by raising his hand 35 seconds into his singing the song.
According to Fox News, Johnson’s video, posted initially on TikTok, has been viewed more than 1.2 million times and liked more than 235,200 times. People on social media were quick to offer thoughtful responses to the video. “The baby’s mind will never remember it, but his heart won’t forget,” wrote one Twitter user. “That’s a great father there.” Another added, “That’s God! Right there!”
A TikTok user commented, “One of the most beautiful NICU baby videos I’ve ever seen. I was in awe and about to cry, too!” Another wrote, “Absolutely precious moment b/n a man, his baby, and our Heavenly Father.”
Speaking to Storyful, Remington’s mother, Emily, said NICU doctors told them their son’s survival was not at all likely. Their little boy “amazed doctors with his strength,” she said. He is expected to go home soon.
“Any patient born less than 35 weeks gestation should stay in a neonatal intensive care unit until baby can maintain its own temperature, does not require oxygen assistance, can eat by mouth, and is gaining weight,” Tara Lyngaas, a nurse manager in the NICU of Baylor Scott and White McLane Children’s Medical Center, told Fox News. Most premature babies, she said, are ultimately released on or around their original due dates.
Full-term pregnancies last between 37 and 42 weeks, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, a study on premature infants from February 2022 suggested babies born early in the U.S. have been seeing increased survival rates.
The study examined 10,877 birth records between 2013 and 2018 from 19 neonatal centers and found preterm infants born at 22 to 28 weeks had a significantly improved survival rate compared to previous years.