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Baby On Board: Donations Allow Premature Baby Born In New York To Fly Home In Private Jet

After being left stranded in New York City for seven weeks because of sky-high medical bills, a couple and their premature baby have been able to return to the UK thanks to the goodwill of others

When Katie Amos jetted off to the Big Apple for a babymoon with her fiancé Lee Johnston, she definitely didn’t expect to return home with her newborn son in tow.

The couple intended to spend four days visiting the city, before their baby arrived in March. But Ms Amos unexpectedly went into labour two days into their holiday – 11 weeks before her due date.

Dax weighed just 3lbs when he was born [Facebook/Katie Amos]
Dax weighed just 3lbs when he was born [Facebook/Katie Amos]



She gave birth to her son, Dax Lee Johnston, weighing just 3lbs on December 28. The British couple was then forced to extend their trip from four days to seven weeks so that baby Dax could receive all the help he needed in a hospital in the city.

They were left reeling when Dax’s medical bills stacked up to reach a staggering £130,000.

But thanks to the kindness and good will of both her and Lee's insurance company and strangers, the family of three has finally been able to return home.

Dax was issued with a US passport and birth certificate to allow him to travel internationally – as a British one would’ve taken up to three months to be sorted.

Katie and Lee were strandard in NYC for seven weeks after being faced with £130,000 in medical bills [Facebook/Katie Amos]
Katie and Lee were strandard in NYC for seven weeks after being faced with £130,000 in medical bills [Facebook/Katie Amos]



Because Dax was premature, he wasn’t able to fly on a commercial airline and so the family flew home, last night, on a private jet. “The only reason we are home now is because we had a specially equipped aircraft and Dax had his own incubator,” Ms Amos, 30, told Mail Online.

Private donations and the couple’s insurance company covered costs of a private jet, fully equipped with all of the medical gear and staff baby Dax needed, to get back to the UK safely. Ms Amos, from Lincolnshire, described it as a “military operation.”

“When we were finally given the all-clear to come home I broke down in tears, we were so happy, no words could describe it,” she said.   

“What had been a very slow process, all of a sudden changed and everything happened really quickly. It was like all of our New Years wishes had come true all at once.

“We were originally told that Dax wouldn’t be well enough to make the journey home until earliest March 10, which was his original due date.”

Because he was born prematurely, Dax has had a number of health issues to deal with but is doing well now, his parents say. “He has reflux which is common for premature babies as his little body had so much to contend with.

“He’s still being closely monitoried as he suffers from Patent Ductus Arteriousus (PDA) which means one of the main arteries from his heart isn’t closed properly.”

But Ms Amos says “it’s looking positive” and Dax has been incredible. “He’s our little fighter and we are so proud of him already.”

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