Luci Pires was 26 weeks pregnant with her first baby when she started to feel some new symptoms: swollen feet, back pain, and trouble walking. She asked her coworkers if these seemed unusual, but they reassured her that she and her baby were okay. "It was my first pregnancy," Luci says. "I thought maybe what I was feeling was normal."
But the next day, Luci's back pain was so severe she couldn't get out of bed. She called in sick to work. That night, she got up to use the bathroom, and her water broke. "I kept telling myself, 'No, my son is not ready to come today, he is not coming today!'" Bleeding and in pain, Luci asked her mom to drive her to BMC. "When I got there, I made it to the fourth floor in a panic," she remembers.
Alessandro’s Early Arrival
Luci was quickly checked into Labor & Delivery, where the team hooked her up to monitors and gave her the good news that her baby was okay. They explained to Luci that she was four centimeters dilated and that the baby was already turned head-down. Their confidence was calming as they assured her that a whole team of specialists was prepared for his arrival.
Just hours later, on March 28, 2024, Alessandro arrived. He was 2 pounds, 13 inches, and 14 weeks early, with a full head of curly hair. He was whisked away to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for close observation and specialized infant care.
From the start, Alessandro faced multiple challenges, including breathing and feeding difficulties and an intestinal infection that required having a small section of his intestines removed. With Sandro, her partner and Alessandro's father, far away in Cape Verde, Luci often felt scared and alone.
Strength, Support, and a Mother’s Devotion
What helped Luci get through this difficult time was her special connection with Judy Burke, a NICU charge nurse. "Judy was like a mom to me," she says. "Whenever she was there, she would always talk to me and tell me stories. She made me feel strong. I am forever grateful to Judy and everyone at BMC for the way they cared for my son."
After Luci was discharged home, her family members would drive her back and forth every day from her home in Brockton to visit Alessandro in Boston. To make things easier on everyone, she started living in the NICU sometime in June. "I'm grateful that BMC offered me that option because Alessandro doesn't have anyone else," she says. "I just kept thinking, 'I cannot think about myself right now. I have to be strong for him and make sure he's okay.'"
A Little Warrior with a Bright Future
On September 17, 2024, after nearly six months of therapies, surgeries, setbacks, and happy miracles, Alessandro went home with just a feeding tube and a plan to follow up with his care team regularly.
Today, Alessandro is a healthy 13-month-old with endless energy and a smile that lights up the room. His rapid development has impressed his early intervention team at every visit. "They'll say they want him to crawl on his hands and knees, and by the next week, he's already doing it!" says Luci, who found out after Alessandro was born that his name means "warrior." It's the perfect name for a baby who has already overcome countless health challenges in his short life. Now weighing 19 pounds and measuring 28 inches, Alessandro is growing fast and has a bright future ahead - with his mom always by his side.