Doctors Switch off Baby Boy's Life Support, He Squeezes Mom's Finger Moments Later

Moments after a child is declared brain dead and taken off life support, he squeezed his mom's finger, and that little pressure changed the outcome of everything.

The story of Kaleb Crook gives new meaning to the term "perseverance" because without it; he may not have lived to hear about what happened when he was still just a few days old.

The Crooks had all been happy that there would soon be a new member of the family when they discovered Mrs. Becki Crook was carrying a child.

Months breezed by, but when the delivery day came, Becki experienced rapid labor that left her with no choice but to deliver the baby, her third, in her home.

After the birth, they realized that Kaleb was floppy, his skin had no color, and he was not breathing. They got him to the hospital in a frantic rush, but the doctors did not have good news. Becki said:

"He was put onto life support as soon as he arrived at the hospital, and doctors told me that there was minimal brain activity and no hope for his future."

According to the health workers, Kaleb had Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) Grade III diagnosis, which is severe, irreversible brain damage that had resulted from oxygen deprivation.

The doctors withdrew all care and transferred the family and their ailing child to a specialized children's hospice where they would receive end-of-life treatment.

The doctors told the Crooks that their child wouldn't survive the catastrophic damage to his brain and would die imminently, so Becki held him tight.

On September 10, 2017, ten days after he was born, Becki and her husband said goodbye to their son and watched the doctors take him off life support.

Of course, Becki had been as close as she could be to the child who had one of her fingers in his grasp. So, imagine her shock when her child gave her a reassuring squeeze as if to say, "it's going to be okay, Mummy!"

It changed everything, and they quickly realized the boy was still breathing — an eventuality that shocked the doctors.

The baby survived the odds, and his case steadily improved enough to allow his family to take him home in time for Christmas. The Crooks said:

"Our hope is that Kaleb will experience happiness and peace, in whatever capacity he is capable of. We want him to know how loved he is."

Becki also added that nobody knew what would happen in the future, but until it came, she and her husband were prepared to stick with their child as he chose life every day. Becki stated:

"He is a true and living miracle, defying all of the doctor's expectations."

The family has continued to rely on Rainbow Hospice for care. They also have been known to fundraise for the organization out of gratitude for what they're doing.

Surrounded by a supportive family, Kaleb, the survivor, has been taking life one day at a time ever since he was born, and hopefully, he will live till the end of his days, just like his parents hope.