Kiki Bradford’s Son Zachariah Spent 167 Days in Intensive Care After Her Water Broke at 16 Weeks

Zachariah, a 3-year-old from Jacksonville, Florida, runs, reads and visits with other children at the Dorion Family Pediatric Center, a long way from where his life began. His mother, Kiki Bradford, told News4JAX that her water broke 16 weeks into her pregnancy. Zachariah was born 11 weeks later, at 27 weeks, and spent 167 days in neonatal intensive care, according to the station’s November 13 report by Melanie Lawson.

A Pregnancy That Reached 27 Weeks

Bradford’s water broke 16 weeks into her pregnancy. News4JAX reported that she carried Zachariah for another 11 weeks before he arrived at 27 weeks.

Doctors call a break in the amniotic sac before 37 weeks preterm prelabor rupture of membranes, or pPROM. Columbia Doctors explains on its pPROM page that the leak can feel like a gush or a trickle, and that many people give birth within about a week, though some carry longer. Patients typically stay in the hospital for close monitoring, with steroids to support the baby’s lungs and antibiotics to prevent infection. The page does not address pregnancies as early as Bradford’s, and News4JAX did not describe the medical care she received.

The same page lists warning signs. Normal fluid is clear or light yellow, and fluid that is dark, greenish, bad-smelling or bloody, especially with a fever, needs immediate medical attention. Anyone who thinks the water has broken, or who has a fever, is advised to call a doctor or midwife right away.

167 Days in Intensive Care

A full-term pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, and MedlinePlus defines a premature birth as one before 37 completed weeks. Zachariah’s birth at 27 weeks came 13 weeks before a full term. A baby born at 27 weeks falls into the group doctors call extremely preterm, meaning under 28 weeks. The Hospital for Sick Children’s AboutKidsHealth site says that group has the highest rates of death and moderate-to-severe neurodevelopmental disability among premature babies. It also says outcome statistics describe groups and cannot reliably predict how one baby will do, and that some extremely preterm babies do very well.

MedlinePlus also says preemies need care in a neonatal intensive care unit until their organ systems can work on their own, and lists breathing problems, feeding difficulties and developmental delay among the issues that can follow an early birth. Specific conditions it names include apnea of prematurity, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. In Zachariah’s case, News4JAX reported that he needed a tracheostomy to help him breathe.

A tracheostomy is a surgical opening in the front of the neck that leads into the windpipe, with a tube that keeps the airway open. Nemours KidsHealth says children may need one when the airway is blocked, when they cannot clear mucus on their own or when they need a ventilator for a long time. Parents are taught to clean the skin around the opening, change the ties and replace the tube on the care team’s schedule, and the site notes that eating and drinking are usually not affected. Families keep a supply bag with the child at all times, and someone trained in emergencies is always with them. Speech therapy can help with learning to speak.

Nemours lists reasons to call the doctor, including bleeding around the tube, pain, fever, unusual mucus or needing more oxygen than usual. It says to call 911 if a tube cannot be replaced, if oxygen levels do not improve or if lips or skin look blue or gray. News4JAX did not describe Zachariah’s daily trach care, so the guidance is general.

Home Visits From a Pediatric Palliative Care Team

When Zachariah was 5 months old, the family joined Community PēdsCare, the pediatric palliative and hospice program of Community Hospice & Palliative Care. The program has stayed part of his care since.

Social worker Danielle McMenamy visited the home monthly and connected the family with physical and feeding therapy. She told News4JAX that every time she visited, Zachariah was learning a new sign or developing a new skill.

In March, he moved into the program’s KITES follow-up service, which means fewer home visits are needed.

A Place Where He Can Run and Explore

The Dorion Family Pediatric Center is where Bradford says her son feels at ease. “He feels like he is right at home,” she said. She described watching him run around at the center having the time of his life, able to explore and be out in the world.

The center is a hub where Zachariah plays, reads and visits with other families, News4JAX reported.

Parent Diaries has also reported on a Wisconsin mother who went into labor with triplets at 27 weeks and on Savannah Arinder, who spent 57 days in the NICU after a 32-week birth.

The Zoo Fundraiser on Sunday, Nov. 15

Community Hospice’s foundation is holding its ROARS and More fundraiser on Sunday, November 15, 2026, at the Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens. News4JAX said it runs from 4:30 to 8 p.m. and includes carousel rides, children’s activities and the Manatee River exhibit. The organization’s event page lists the same date and place with a 4:30 p.m. start, and says proceeds raise money for PēdsCare, which provides care for children and families in the community.

News4JAX reported that proceeds support Community PēdsCare, which provides services at no cost to families in the program. Ticket details are at roarsandmore.thefoundationcares.org, according to the station, and the organization’s page lists tickets and sponsorship options.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

Image: Rob Bixby from Jacksonville, FL, USA – CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia Commons