Watch CBS News

UCI Neonatal ICU Team Honored For Saving Baby Girl Born With Intestines Outside Her Body

ORANGE (CBSLA.com) — Watching 2-year-old Irelynn Gossett walk through the doors of UCI Medical Center's neonatal ICU is something of a miracle.

When Irelynn was born, surgeon Mustafa Kabeer wasn't sure if the girl would ever make it outside the hospital's walls.

"I wasn't sure if she would survive. I wasn't sure she had enough intestine to survive," Kabeer said.

Irelynn was born with all her intestines on the outside of her body through a defect in her abdominal wall, a condition called gastroschisis. Irelynn underwent five surgeries before she was a week old and spent the first 81 days of her life in the neonatal ICU.

A year later, Kabeer was brought to tears as he and his team were honored by Avery's Angels Gastroschisis Foundation with the Avery's Award for Excellence for their work saving Irelynn's life.

"People give out awards for research and academic achievement, but all of those things pale in comparison to when you get something from a family," Kabeer said.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.