Submitted photo Graduation time Little Zoe Greig proudly displays her first ever graduation certificate. The St. Cloud Hospital neonatal intensive care unit gave it to Zoe just after her fourth birthday. She spent most of the first three months of her life in the St.Cloud NICU and had made annual return trips until now.

So tiny, so small.

Surprises come in many shapes and sizes. For Adam and Carly Greig, their surprise was a little too small, came a little too soon and had a name - Zoe Lyn.

In March 2005, Carly, a young, expecting mother, was looking forward to meeting her new bundle of joy in May. After a regular check-up at Lakewood Health System on March 8, she started experiencing numerous Braxton Hicks (false labor pains) but still nothing to be worried about.

Two days later, Carly knew something was wrong. She spoke with her mother, Jody Farber and Jody called Lakewood Health System and talked with a nurse. A bit later, Carly found herself upside down in a delivery room -- avoiding what
seemed inevitable -- the delivery of her baby girl…10 weeks early.

Submitted photo Family portrait Adam and Carly Greig, with the daughter, Zoe and son, Ryder, can now celebrate Zoe's good health. She was born premature and struggled through her first 72 days in the St. Cloud Hospital neonatal unit. The family plans to walk in a March of Dimes fund raising drive on March 2. Carly and Adam's second child, Ryder, was also born prematurely but this time, they were prepared. Before Ryder was born, Carly had medication to help develop his lungs. When he was born, Ryder was flown to St. Cloud for respiratory difficulties, but luckily, the difficulties cleared up rapidly. Ryder is now almost two years old and healthy.

Carly was already dilated when she arrived at the hospital.

The on-call physician in OB that day was Dr. Julie Benson. Carly's family physician, Dr. Sarah Israelson, had been working at the Motley clinic that day, but hurried to the Staples hospital when she learned Carly was already in pre-labor. When Dr. Benson checked Carly for dilation, it was a shock to everyone how advanced Carly's labor already was. "I remember Dr. Benson saying, 'It's time to rock and roll,'" said Carly.

The team of four physicians - Dr. Sarah Israelson, Dr. Julie Benson, Dr. Gerald Henrickson and Dr. John Halfen and multiple registered nurses - Lori Knudson, Heidi Storry, Angie Tumberg and Kim Quance - worked with Carly that day and connected by phone with the St. Cloud Hospital for help.

The fog of that March day didn't allow helicopter activity, so the team of two paramedics, a nurse practitioner and three neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) registered nurses from St. Cloud had to come by car. "Zoe's hand and foot were almost all the way through the cervix, but Carly's water hadn't broken yet," said Dr. Benson. "We couldn't transport Carly in that state - it was too dangerous and we definitely didn't want Zoe to be born in an ambulance."

While 10 weeks ahead of schedule, Zoe was in the breech position and a Caesarian section was needed. Dr. John Halfen performed the C-section and delivered Zoe at 8:20 p.m. on March 10. Zoe was only 2 pounds, 14 ounces and 15¼ inches in length. "She came out crying and breathing on her own," said Carly. "It was a miracle."

Zoe was rushed to St. Cloud's NICU because her lungs weren't completely developed and she had a PDA in her heart; that is a vessel that is supposed to close in the womb before birth.

"We all got a two minute look at her and away she went," said Grandpa Brad Farber. "That's when my journey began."

Carly couldn't see her newborn until the third day because she had to stay back and recover after her C-section, but Grandpa Farber was able to stay with Zoe throughout her entire stay in St. Cloud.

Three days of indomethacin treatments was all it took to close Zoe's PDA in her little, grapesized heart. Carly was then able to bathe, feed and even dress up little Zoe - usually in cabbage patch clothes and micro-preemie sized because even preemie clothes didn't fit. "I found a pink cabbage patch tutu for her and we were even able to make molds of her footprints," said Carly. Her miniature hand prints weren't any larger than a small cat's paw print.

Unfortunately, the tiny IV in Zoe's arm infiltrated with the indomethacin and "burnt" Zoe's arm. The burn became infected and required yet another medication. Today, Zoe still has a scar from the burn that will grow as she grows.

Despite her IV burn, Zoe's health outlook was very positive and the doctors were pleased with her progress. "It was almost time to bring Zoe home, but unfortunately, Zoe was still so tiny and had a lot of potential to become sick," said Carly. Zoe developed Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) a life-threatening illness, especially for a baby so small.

The treatment for RSV required a respirator for Zoe and an induced coma to keep her from pulling the tubes out. "The respirator was too much for Zoe and it started to damage her lungs," said Carly. "Our last resort was an oscillator, a machine that pumps 600 breaths per minute. Zoe's body just shook - vibrated on the oscillator."

While in her induced coma, the doctors encouraged the family to talk to Zoe. "They said Zoe could still hear us. At first I didn't know what to say, but I remember always telling her that she was my angel," said Grandpa Farber.

While Zoe had RSV, she had 14 IVs, three blood transfusions and had to be monitored by two nurses 24 hours a day. "The doctors were very straight with us," said Grandpa Farber. "At one time, they told us to call our minister to get Zoe baptized right away."

During Zoe's RSV, Carly came down with the flu. "That was when Zoe was really sick, so my Dad stayed with her for me," said Carly. Adam, Carly's husband and Zoe's dad, couldn't be there very much because he traveled for work. "It was a scary and difficult time," said Carly. I didn't think I would ever be able to take Zoe home."

"Only a day or two after Zoe was baptized, it was like someone snapped their fingers," said Grandpa Farber. "She got way better." Within days, the doctors started to wean Zoe off the coma medications and put her back on the respirator. "It was a good sign for her to be on the respirator," said Carly.

Carly was finally allowed to see Zoe again. "The day I got to see her was Mother's Day. My sister was typing up a poem from Zoe to me, but wasn't quite finished with it," said Carly. "When I saw Zoe that day, she opened her eyes for the first time. My sister was able to finish her poem."

The day after Zoe opened her eyes for the first time, the doctors were able to take out the breathing tube. Zoe's stay at the NICU was 72 days - 20 days longer than expected due to her RSV. During her stay at the NICU, Zoe was blessed with the love of her family. Both the Greig grandparents and Farber grandparents visited often and stayed with Zoe, including all of her aunts and uncles. Carly says the strength of her and Adam's families pulled them through.

When Zoe was able to go home, Carly said she was nervous without the monitors that, while in the NICU, kept Zoe alive. "I would get up at night and listen to her breathing and feel for her chest to rise," said Carly. "That was pretty scary, but I was so happy to have her home."

Since her discharge, Zoe has made visits to the NICU every year around her birthday. Today, Zoe is four years old and healthy. She's still very susceptible to respiratory illnesses and often uses a nebulizer. This year, during her visit to the NICU, Zoe graduated from the intensive care program.

She's preparing to walk in the Brainerd March of Dimes on May 2 for the team "Zoe's Angels." March of

Dimes helps babies like Zoe in a huge way - by saving lives. The medication that kept Zoe's under-developed lungs open, called Surfactant, was developed in the 1980s, by the March of Dimes. Before surfactant, over 10,000 premature babies died every year due to respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Today, less than 1,000 babies die each year from RDS.

Zoe's family is raising money for the walk, "We're walking for Zoe, but the donations are going to help babies in the same situation," said Grandpa Farber.

"We're planning to wear Zoe's favorite color in the walk - pink," said Carly. "Our goal is to spread her story and raise awareness for premature babies and the support that March of Dimes can provide for families."

To this day, Zoe still calls her Grandpa at night before she goes to bed and tells him, "You're my angel, Grandpa."

"Dad waited with me for 72 days to hear good news," said Carly. "He'll always be a big part of Zoe's life."

To walk with the team "Zoe's Angels" on May 2 or to make a donation, please call Maggie at 218-894-8818.