Brighten Your Day

World’s Most Premature Surviving Baby Turns One, Sets New Guinness Record

July 28, 2025

When Mollie and Randall Keen marked their son Nash’s first birthday on July 5, 2025, they weren’t just celebrating a milestone—they were celebrating a miracle.

Born at just 21 weeks gestation and weighing less than a can of soda, Nash has now been officially recognized as the world’s most premature surviving baby.

Baby Nash | University of Iowa Health Care

Affectionately called “Nash Potato” by his family, the Ankeny, Iowa, toddler came into the world 133 days ahead of schedule. His birth at University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital was a moment of both fear and hope. For his care team, it marked a new frontier in neonatal medicine.

Mollie Keen was familiar with heartbreak. Less than a year before Nash’s birth, she and Randall had lost their daughter McKinley at 18 weeks. Afterward, Mollie was diagnosed with an incompetent cervix, a condition that can lead to premature labor. She also lived with polycystic ovary syndrome, which made getting pregnant more difficult.

So when she became pregnant again, the Keens were cautiously optimistic. At her 20-week scan, Mollie had a gut feeling that something was off. A closer look revealed she was already two centimeters dilated.

That night, she ended up in the ER and was put on bed rest.

University of Iowa Health Care / Mollie and Randall Keen

Despite their fears that history might repeat itself, a late-night comment on a support group post offered a ray of hope. A fellow NICU mom mentioned that University of Iowa’s children’s hospital had recently begun lifesaving interventions for babies born at just 21 weeks. That set the Keens on a path to Iowa City, hoping they could hold off labor just long enough.

Labor began in the early hours of July 2, and Mollie was rushed to the hospital. Her care team acted quickly to stabilize her and delay delivery. Two days later—just past the critical 21-week mark—Nash made his entrance into the world.

“It was a new frontier,” said Dr. Malinda Schaefer, who delivered him. “We didn’t know what the outcome would be.”

Weighing only 10 ounces and measuring under 10 inches long, Nash was smaller than most babies born even a week later. Neonatologist Dr. Amy Stanford was able to insert a breathing tube, and his heart rate stabilized.

“He let us do what we needed to help him,” she recalled.

University of Iowa Health Care

For the care team, Nash was more than just a patient. His parents say the doctors and nurses made them feel included and supported every step of the way.

“They turned a scary, sterile space into something that felt like home,” said Mollie. “They became our people, our family.”

Still, Nash’s early days were filled with uncertainty. He underwent countless tests, received round-the-clock care, and even had surgery for a perforated bowel—a procedure with a high mortality rate. But Nash never stopped fighting.

“There were so many ups and downs,” Mollie shared during his NICU stay. “But I’m starting to understand that’s part of the journey most NICU parents go through.”

After 189 days in the hospital, Nash was finally strong enough to go home in January 2025. The Keens say they’ll never forget the moment Mollie held him for the first time after waiting three weeks.

“He was so tiny, I could barely even feel him on my chest,” she said. “It felt like pure relief and love all at once.”

Now, Nash is thriving. Though he still receives follow-up care, his progress has been nothing short of inspiring. At his birthday party, surrounded by friends and family, he enjoyed whipped cream-topped cake, colorful toys, and a mountain of much-needed diapers.

Reflecting on the journey, Mollie said, “I hope Nash grows up knowing how loved he is and how many people have been cheering for him since the beginning. I want him to see his story as a source of strength.”

As Dr. Stanford put it: “Nash and the Keen family have taught me the power of never giving up hope.”