Tony and Mandie Yannitti of Dayton, OH had been married nearly 4 years when they found out they were expecting their first child. Everything concerning the pregnancy was going well, but when Mandie went for her normal 26-week ultrasound, things took a turn for the worse.

The ultrasound showed that the baby’s heartbeat was rapidly dropping. So her doctor decided to perform an emergency
C-section. Mandie gave birth to her son, Carmine and he was only 13 ounces. Even though his prognosis was grim, little Carmine fought to survive. He became the smallest baby to survive at Dayton Children’s Medical Center.

Today, infant viability is constantly changing due to great leaps in medical advances. Babies are surviving earlier and earlier, but late-term abortions still continue to be performed. Carmine Yannitti’s birth and survival proved that a baby at only 26 weeks can survive outside of the womb with few lasting complications. And his parents can’t imagine life without him.

.You can watch the entire episode by clicking the link at the top of the page.

Enter here for your chance to receive a copy of National Geographic’s In the Womb. This stunning footage chronicles
the development of the baby from the moment of conception through birth.