NICU baby departs hospital after 8-month stay

A little bundle of joy is going home for the first time just a few days before Thanksgiving.

Representatives at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital announced Monday that a child named Manuela was born at 23 weeks.

The little girl has spent nearly eight months in their Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) growing stronger.

"We are so thankful that this little pumpkin is finally on her way home," the hospital said in a statement.

Staff said they lined the halls of the hospital to cheer on Manuela, her mother and her dad as they departed the hospital.

As a Level III NICU hospital, staff at Palms West provide advanced care for babies who are recovering from serious health conditions.

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