Apple Valley Woman Gives Birth To 14-Ounce Baby Boy

APPLE VALLEY (CBSLA.com) — An Apple Valley woman gave birth to a 14-ounce baby boy this week.

CBS2's Crystal Cruz reports the baby Decklen is on a ventilator, fighting to survive.

"He's only 10 inches long," the boy's father, James Maize, said.

Maize said his wife, Carrie, welcomed their son into the world Tuesday at St. Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley.

Decklen was born at 22 weeks, months ahead of his September due date, following an umbilical cord prolapse, which is when the cord makes an appearance before the baby.

"It was a choice between me and my wife if we wanted to try to save him or not," Maize said. "We decided that we wanted to try to save him, so they rushed her back for a C-section."

The couple wanted to give their son a shot because their daughter died last year at 22 weeks.

"If he's a fighter, you know, we want him to fight and make his own decisions," Maize said. "It's rough...just being able to sit there at his bedside and just pretty much whisper."

Maize, who is in the Army and stationed in Virginia, flew in for the medical emergency. He's hoping his son's story will give hope to other parents in the same situation.

"If a baby can be saved, if you have a doctor that is willing to do what he has to do...and we have a great doctor, you know, and he's doing everything he possibly can for our son," Maize said.

Maize's wife hopes to go home Thursday, but the duo will spend many months visiting their son in the neonatal intensive care unit.