Babies Jesse & Ezekiel's story of resilience, advocacy, and hope

11/7/2025 Update:

Monica’s journey to motherhood is a testament to resilience, faith, and the power of informed decisions. A former college professor and medical ethics educator, Monica’s path to parenthood was filled with challenges.

Living in California and focused on her academic career, Monica made the proactive decision to freeze her eggs through an IVF company. However, when the pandemic hit, her adjunct teaching position was suspended, and she faced a difficult choice: continue paying for egg storage or take a leap of faith. She chose the latter.

“I said defrost them, give them to me,” Monica recalled. “I wanted my investment in my babies.”

In 2022, she became pregnant with her first son, Ezekiel. Planning a temporary move to Florida during her third trimester, Monica started having contractions at just 19 weeks. While they were able to delay delivery by two weeks, being born at just 21 weeks was still incredibly early. In fact, Ezekiel became one of the youngest premature babies born in the world.

With staffing shortages during the pandemic, Monica trusted the care team but wanted to verify the information. She quickly learned about necrotizing enterocolitis and recognized the importance of nutrition in reducing its risk.

Equipped with the latest research, she pushed for Prolacta’s fortifiers and convinced the hospital they were right for Ezekiel.

“The nutrition part was the game changer,” Monica said. “Once we got that right, everything else started falling into place.”

She credits our fortifiers for helping him stay nourished and grow stronger during his time in the NICU.

After a long NICU journey, Ezekiel finally went home and was able to bottle feed with little assistance from oxygen. Considering his starting the world at just 1 pound, he went home thriving and hasn’t looked back since.

Monica wanted to have a sibling for Ezekiel, so she started the process to become a foster parent. However, life surprised her again. She thought she was entering menopause but quickly discovered she was expecting another baby.

Jesse was born at 23 weeks and faced his own set of challenges, including gastrointestinal issues and being tongue-tied. But Monica, now a seasoned NICU advocate, ensured Jesse received Prolacta early on. Once again, she witnessed the positive impact of Prolacta's products.

After 90 days in the NICU, Jesse went home to be with his big brother Ezekiel. “They love each other. It's a lot of joy to see both of them,” said Monica.

Now a mother of two thriving boys, Monica is transitioning back into the workforce with a renewed sense of purpose. She’s seeking roles that align with her mission: supporting families and advocating for equitable access to life-saving neonatal nutrition.

Monica’s message to other NICU parents is clear: don’t isolate yourself. “Reach out. Educate yourself. Advocate. You’re not alone,” she emphasized. “Support systems and shared stories can empower you to fight for what your child needs.”

Her story is a reminder that behind every NICU journey is a parent fighting fiercely for their child’s future. Monica is one of those parents—and her voice is helping others find theirs.

* Any views, opinions, findings, assertions, conclusions or recommendations expressed are solely those of the individual. The content is provided for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice.

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As originally reported in the Tampa Digital Journal, Ezekiel’s life has not been easy. Even before Monica conceived him, he overcame the odds. Only one out of the frozen 7 embryos survived, which was implanted in mid-October 2021.

Fast forward four months, and Monica was admitted to Tampa General Hospital. After going through so much to conceive Ezekiel, Monica was determined to save him. She succeeded and delivered him the first day of March.

However, his journey in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) wouldn’t be easy. Ezekiel was born without mature lungs and weighed 1 lb 8 oz (816 g).

“It was very scary as I had to spend [129] days in the NICU. It was heartening to see the way the doctors and nurses helped me during that critical time,” said Monica. As a woman of color, Monica truly appreciates the help of the primary care nurses and medical providers. Black women in the US are more likely to die from complications of pregnancy than White women. Fortunately, the care team at Tampa General Hospital is committed to bridging the disparities and Monica worked as a strong advocate for her son and herself.

Monica was convinced that Ezekiel needed the best possible nutrition. After researching fortification, she advocated for our products and was able to get the hospital to agree. However, their protocol states to transition babies off our fortifiers at 30 weeks.

Monica used her influence when Ezekiel was reaching 30 weeks, convincing the hospital to extend the use of Prolacta fortifiers to 34 weeks before transitioning to cow milk-based formula and fortifier.

As a result of the tremendous care and optimal nutrition, Ezekiel was discharged on July 7th, two days after his original due date, weighing 10 lbs (4536 g) and has well-functioning lungs. (Please note, the news article incorrectly lists July 5th as his discharge date and 8-9 lbs as his discharge weight.)