He's very tiny, but very strong.

When Kave Johnson arrived into the world, he weighed just 1 lb. 4 ounces. “He’s very tiny, but very strong,” says his mom, Micheal.

She and Kave’s dad, Demos, have spent the first 20 days of Kave’s life at his bedside in Bronson Children’s Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

He’s one of the first babies to benefit from new ventilators recently purchased through donors to Bronson Health Foundation. The high frequency jet ventilators are designed specifically for small premature babies with extremely underdeveloped lungs.

“The nurses and doctors have been very helpful in explaining it,” says Micheal.  “This is one of the most gentle respirators that he can be on and it has so many settings. He’s doing really well with it.”

Michelle Shay, respirator care team leader at Bronson Children’s Hospital, explains that the three new ventilators are frequently all in use. “Our premature babies’ lungs are the most fragile, so protecting them is our biggest concern. The special ventilators give very small gentle breaths and don’t require the lungs to stretch as much. We are hoping to help protect their lungs as much as possible while they continue to develop while in the NICU.”