Baby Raelynn Kubiske has been through an extraordinary first year of life. Born nearly four months premature on July 18, 2025, at just 23 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy, she weighed only 12.5 ounces (about 355 grams)—less than a can of soda.

Her parents, Aubree Winnekens and Aaron Kubiske, were initially warned to prepare for the worst. Doctors at American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, faced an incredibly challenging situation, but the family asked the medical team to do everything possible to give their daughter a chance.

Raelynn spent 375 days in the hospital, requiring highly specialized neonatal care and numerous medical interventions, including open-heart surgery. Doctors say she is the smallest surviving baby by birth weight ever to graduate from their NICU, making her story remarkable even among extremely premature infants.

Finally, on July 28, 2026, Raelynn was able to leave the hospital and go home with her family. At 13 months old, she weighed about 18 pounds. Her parents say she still requires around-the-clock care, but after more than a year surrounded by doctors, nurses and medical equipment, she is now beginning a new chapter at home.

Her mother is also facing serious health challenges and has said she may need a kidney transplant. Despite everything the family has endured, Raelynn’s medical team describes her survival as extraordinary. Neonatologist Dr. Claudette Onyelobi called her a “real life miracle” after watching her overcome one challenge after another during her first year.

Raelynn’s journey is a powerful reminder of just how much courage can exist in the tiniest patients—and of the dedication of the families and medical teams who never stopped fighting for her.