Premature twin now home with family

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Alexis Frazier finally joined her family - parents Tech. Sgt. Barry Frazier, 100th Air Refueling Wing Legal Office, his wife Mandy, and her older brother, Barry Frazier III - at home mid-January, after spending the first four-and-a-half months of her life in Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

The little girl, one of premature twins due Jan. 1, was born Sept. 6, 2008, in the neonatal intensive care unit at the British hospital, at just 23 weeks and three days gestation period. She weighed just 1 pound, 3 ounces. Her twin brother, Eric, tragically died Dec. 10.

Although currently still on oxygen, Alexis is healthy and growing fast. At 5 ½ months old, she now weighs 8 pounds, 4 ounces. That may be smaller than most babies her age, but as she should currently be just 7 weeks old right now, she's doing well.

"It's great having her home, but it's tiring," said Mandy. "She's been on oxygen 24-hours-a-day, but she's starting to come off it, and she's down to a low dose now."

Alexis's mom said her oldest son, Barry, thinks it's great to have his little sister at home.

"He loves her so much, and tries to do everything for us - he tries to give her the pacifier, and when she's had her milk, he'll try to burp her by rubbing her back," she said.