Mom Told Newborn Was Fine but Something Felt off-Then Came Symptoms
Ashley Morin's third pregnancy never felt quite right. From the beginning, something about carrying Nolan felt different.
The 29‑year‑old told Newsweek that her two pregnancies had been smooth and predictable; this one felt uneasy and unfamiliar. And when she went into labor two weeks early, the experience was slow, frightening and far more intense than anything she had gone through before.
Nolan arrived without complications, and at first everything appeared normal. But within two days, everything changed.
“I had a feeling something was weird,” Morin said. Nolan wasn't interested in feeding, his blood sugar was low, and his bilirubin levels were high-along with jaundice.
“I was tested for infections to see if I had passed something onto him, but the results were negative,” Morin said. Despite Nolan being discharged when he was 2 days old, the mom felt something was still “off.”
The next day, he had a seizure-though at the time she didn't realize it, having never seen one before.
Morin, from Utah, said: “His body was stiff; he was screaming like crazy. He went red, and his body was almost curled into a C-shape. Then he stopped and was fine.”
Nolan remained lethargic, whimpering, and needed to be woken for feeds, prompting Morin to book a doctor's appointment.
“My mother's instincts told me it was not just jaundice,” she said.
Doctors agreed to run a blood test, and, during the procedure, Nolan had another seizure and stopped breathing.
“The doctors understood it was more serious, then they life‑flighted him in a helicopter on his own to the main hospital. It was so scary,” his mom said.
At the hospital, Nolan was placed in a resuscitation room and remained unconscious for two days.
A brain scan when Nolan was 1 week old revealed multiple abscesses and extensive damage. Doctors told Morin and her husband that, if Nolan woke up, his life would be extremely limited.
The couple were advised to consider withdrawing care, as he was unlikely to reach milestones such as walking or talking.
Morin said: “I never felt it was the right thing to let him go.
“I had just given birth a week before, and then I was presented with that question.”
Initially, doctors believed he had contracted a rare type of bacteria and said they had never seen this level of brain damage before. It was later confirmed to be bacterial meningitis.
Neonatal Meningitis
This form of meningitis-caused by a bacterial infection-affects the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. When it occurs during pregnancy, the stakes are higher, making early recognition especially important for maternal and fetal health.
Dr. Supriya Wakchaure, a licensed pediatrician and neonatologist, told Newsweek that neonatal meningitis is a “catastrophic medical emergency that requires immediate clinical suspicion and lightning-fast intervention.”
Unlike meningitis in older children, the blood-brain barrier in newborns is highly permeable, allowing common bacterial or viral pathogens to rapidly cross from the bloodstream into the central nervous system, leading to widespread cerebral inflammation within hours.
Signs and Symptoms of Meningitis in Babies
Wakchaure said: “Newborns do not present with the classic signs of meningitis seen in adults, such as a stiff neck or a high fever.”
Here are signs of how meningitis presents during the earliest stages:
- Poor feeding
- Lethargy
- Irritability
- Temperature instability
- High-pitched cry
Wakchaure added: “As the infection takes hold, fluid and inflammatory cells accumulate around the brain. This can lead to a bulging fontanelle (the soft spot on a baby’s head), seizures, and altered consciousness, signaling advanced and highly dangerous intracranial pressure.”
Non‑Negotiable Guidelines for Early Detection and Intervention
Wakchaure, based in India, said parents, caregivers, and front-line clinicians should follow these essential protocols:
- Act on subtle distress signs-sudden lethargy, repeated feeding refusal, or persistent irritability in a newborn should trigger immediate medical assessment, even without a fever.
- Prioritize prenatal GBS screening-routine Group B Strep testing at 36 to 37 weeks allows timely antibiotics during labor, greatly lowering the risk of early‑onset infection.
- Perform lumbar punctures without delay-when sepsis or meningitis is suspected, clinicians must obtain cerebrospinal fluid and start IV antibiotics immediately, as delays increase the risk of brain injury.
Nolan's Turning Point-and the Battle That Followed
At 8 days old, Nolan opened his eyes. From that moment, Ashley refused to give up.
Nolan slowly began breathing and eating on his own. Once the infection was controlled, he was discharged in July 2023-still fragile, with a line running from his arm to his heart for daily medication.
Weeks later, during a family photo shoot, Ashley noticed Nolan's head looked larger and his eyes were moving strangely.
On August 23, doctors confirmed his brain was swelling. He spent three more weeks in the hospital and, at 3 months old, received a shunt, a surgically placed tube or passage that diverts fluid or blood from one part of the body to another.
Nolan was later diagnosed with epilepsy, but medication has helped manage his seizures.
Now approaching his third birthday on June 24, Nolan walks, communicates, eats, laughs, loves soccer and lights up every room he enters.
“Nolan loves people, which is awesome, as he makes so many people happy,” Morin said.
“He is funny, silly, and can go from 0 to 100,” his mom added, noting that she is grateful for every emotion he can express.
Today, she shares his story online to show other parents of children with special needs that kids can defy the odds.
“His life is a miracle to me,” Morin said. “I wanted to share his story to show other parents that, even when doctors give you terrifying possibilities, they aren't always right.
“You're allowed to ask for more tests, more opinions-the doctors don't have to have the final word.”
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This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 6:00 AM.