A Mother’s Miracle: How Fish Skin Helped Save a Premature Baby’s Life
In the stillness of a neonatal intensive care unit, where the rhythmic beeping of monitors replaces lullabies, Krystal DeVos found herself living every mother’s deepest fear—and greatest test of faith. Cradled in her arms was her newborn daughter, Eliana, impossibly small and heartbreakingly fragile. Born far too early at just 23 weeks in April 2022, Eliana weighed only 0.45 kilograms. She was barely bigger than a hand, yet she was already fighting the hardest battle of her life.
From the moment she entered the world, Eliana’s future was uncertain. Doctors rushed her into the NICU, where she would spend the next 131 days surrounded by tubes, wires, and machines designed to keep her alive. Each day was a delicate balance between hope and fear. For Krystal, time seemed to stretch endlessly, marked not by dates on a calendar but by medical updates, whispered prayers, and the constant question: Will she make it through today?
When Survival Isn’t the End of the Fight
Premature birth alone is a tremendous challenge, but Eliana’s journey soon became even more complicated. Despite round-the-clock care from an experienced medical team, she developed a severe infection that quickly turned life-threatening. The infection caused a deep wound to form on her neck—an injury so serious it exposed just how vulnerable her tiny body was.
As the infection spread, Eliana slipped into sepsis, a dangerous condition in which the body’s response to infection begins to attack its own tissues and organs. For Krystal, the doctors’ explanations were terrifying. She remembers listening as they described how the infection was “eating away” at her daughter’s skin, threatening not just her recovery, but her life.
“It sounded unreal,” Krystal later recalled. “Like something out of a nightmare. I was watching my baby fight something I couldn’t see or touch, and there was nothing I could do except trust.”
Traditional treatment options were limited. Skin grafts—often used to treat severe wounds—were simply too risky. Eliana’s body was too small, too weak, and too underdeveloped to endure another invasive procedure. The medical team needed an alternative. And quickly.
A Radical Idea in a Desperate Moment
That alternative came in the form of something few parents would ever expect to hear in a hospital setting: fish skin.
Doctors proposed using skin derived from wild North Atlantic cod as a biological dressing for Eliana’s wound. While unconventional, this treatment had been gaining attention in medical circles for its healing properties. Fish skin is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and natural compounds that promote tissue regeneration, reduce inflammation, and protect wounds from infection.
For Krystal, the suggestion was both surprising and unsettling. Fish skin was not something she had ever imagined being used on her baby. Yet, in the face of dwindling options, it also felt like a lifeline.
“I didn’t understand all the science,” she admitted. “But I understood one thing—my doctors weren’t giving up on her. And neither was I.”
With cautious hope, Krystal gave her consent.
Healing Powered by Nature
The procedure itself was delicate. Eliana’s wound was carefully cleaned, and the fish skin was applied as a protective layer. Unlike synthetic dressings, the fish skin acted almost like a natural scaffold, allowing her own cells to grow and repair the damaged tissue.
What happened next felt nothing short of miraculous.
Within just three days, the angry redness of the wound began to fade. The infection slowed. Her body, which had been overwhelmed only days before, started responding in a positive way. Nurses and doctors watched closely, documenting every change, every sign of improvement.
After ten days, the transformation was astonishing. The once-deep wound on Eliana’s neck had nearly closed. Healthy skin had formed where doctors once feared permanent damage—or worse. There was minimal scarring, and no signs of the infection returning.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Krystal said, her voice still filled with emotion. “I went from being terrified to being in awe. Fish skin saved my daughter’s life. That’s something I never thought I’d say.”
From Fragile Newborn to Little Mermaid
Today, Eliana is no longer the fragile baby fighting for survival in an incubator. She is a lively, joyful three-year-old, full of curiosity, laughter, and imagination. She loves playing with her dolls and dressing up, often pretending to be her favorite character, Ariel from The Little Mermaid.
Krystal smiles when she talks about it. “I call her my little mermaid,” she says. “She came back to us with the help of fish skin, after all.”
Looking at Eliana now, it’s hard to imagine how close they once came to losing her. The scar on her neck is faint, almost invisible—a quiet reminder of a battle fought and won long before she could understand it.
One day, when Eliana is older, Krystal plans to show her the photos from the hospital. Not to frighten her, but to teach her about resilience, science, and the incredible people who refused to give up. She wants her daughter to know that her life is a testament to courage, innovation, and hope.
A Story Meant to Be Shared
Krystal has chosen to share Eliana’s story publicly, not for attention, but to raise awareness. She wants other parents to know that unconventional treatments can sometimes offer extraordinary results—especially when traditional options fall short.
“Don’t be afraid of something just because it sounds unusual,” she says. “If we had said no out of fear, my daughter might not be here today.”
Her gratitude extends beyond medicine alone. While she credits modern science and skilled doctors, she also speaks openly about faith—the belief that carried her through sleepless nights and unbearable uncertainty.
“There were moments when all I could do was pray,” Krystal reflects. “And somehow, between faith, science, and a miracle from nature, my baby survived.”
Believing in the Possibility of Miracles
Eliana’s journey is more than a medical success story. It’s a powerful reminder that healing doesn’t always come from expected places. Sometimes, the most unlikely solutions—like fish skin from the depths of the ocean—can change a life forever.
For Krystal, the message is simple and heartfelt: never lose hope. Miracles may not look the way we imagine, but they are possible. And sometimes, they arrive in the quietest hospital rooms, wrapped in love, courage, and the unyielding will of a mother who refuses to give up on her child.