Baby who was born weighing 970 grams is discharged and leaves hospital dressed as Our Lady of Aparecida ? Baby Maria Alicia Santos da Silva, who was born extremely prematurity and weighed 970 grams, was discharged from the hospital this Thursday (9), after 61 days admitted to the Juruá Women's and Children's Hospital, in Cruzeiro do Sul, in the interior of Acre. Just like leaving the neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU), last month, she left the hospital dressed as Our Lady of Aparecida in fulfillment of a promise made by the family, according to the child's mother, nail designer Rania Maria Santos, 24 years old. ? Join the g1 AC channel on WhatsApp According to her, Maria Alicia spent a month and four days in the most intense treatment and the rest of the period in the kangaroo unit, where she gained weight until she went home. "It was a unique feeling, but at the same time, one of fear and insecurity. Because she was premature, care was taken with extra care. Leaving the nurses and doctors close to me is a little scary, but God and Our Lady have always been on our side and she will grow up well and healthy," he said. Baby Maria Alicia was discharged this Thursday (9) in Cruzeiro do Sul, in the interior of Acre Personal archive ? Rania said that, even after discharge, the baby will be monitored by pediatricians and that she will maintain the care adopted during hospitalization at home. She lives in the Cruzeirinho Novo neighborhood, with her girl and her husband, in Cruzeiro do Sul, and prepared an improvised space to welcome her daughter. READ MORE: Mother recalls the struggle of a baby who was born prematurely and spent 77 days in the ICU: 'It's a victory' Acre has the highest rate of premature births in the country, according to research Newborn presumed dead is removed from his own funeral after family hears crying in a coffin in Acre The mother also highlighted that she had to interrupt work during the pregnancy because it was considered at risk, but the family's support contributed to overcoming the difficulties. "My mother helps me, my sister, my daughter's father. My family never abandoned me and, above all, God. The nurses and doctors also had enormous affection for me and my daughter", he reported. Birth on a symbolic date ? Little Maria Alicia was born on May 13, 2026, at just 30 weeks of gestation, which is approximately seven months. The birth took place on the day of Our Lady of Fátima, the date that celebrates the first appearance of the virgin Mary to the three shepherd children, in Fátima, Portugal, in 1917. "The hardest part was trusting that God's plans were bigger and better. Without doubting that everything would work out", said Rania about her daughter's hospitalization period. Despite her extreme prematurity, Maria Alicia surprised the medical team from the first moments of her life. The baby did not need to be intubated and only received oxygen support before being taken to the Neonatal ICU. Promise Even after being discharged from the hospital, Rania said that every three hours she would express and deliver breast milk to her daughter. "I woke up every three hours to express milk and bring it to her. I never missed a day. I was the first mother to arrive and the last to leave. When I went in there and saw Alicia so small and full of life, fighting to live, that gave me extraordinary strength", he recalls. After the recovery of her premature daughter, Rania Maria Santos left the maternity ward on her knees and fulfilled her promise. Given the uncertainty, Rania made the following promise: If the girl recovered without any consequences, the mother would go from the ICU to the bed on her knees and dress the baby in Our Lady of Aparecida, of which she is a devotee. The clothes worn by Maria Alicia had a meaning special. According to the mother, the idea came even before the promise. I prayed every day and asked for Mary's intercession. I already wanted to make the outfit. Then I made the promise and completed it with Our Lady's clothes", she says. Looking at her daughter after all the struggle she faced, Rania says that the experience transformed her life. "It's an inexplicable feeling. A love that doesn't fit in my chest, a peace that I've never felt. Today I can understand a little of God's love for each one of us, because the only love that comes closest to God's love is the love of a mother for her child", he declared. VIDEOS: g1