Miracle baby continues to beat the odds

PLYMOUTH, Mich. (WXYZ) - When baby Daniel left the hospital doctors told his parents he may only have 48 hours to live. That was two months ago.

Right now baby Daniel appears as vibrant as any healthy five-month old.

“I never thought he would be on my lap today,” said Junior Jolivard, Daniel’s father.

Baby Daniel’s ordeal began shortly after he was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. Doctors discovered he was suffering from a rare blood disorder known as H-L-H.

Symptoms of the disorder include fever, body aches and constipation.

“When you look at him you can’t really tell, but he’s still really sick,” Jolivard said.

Junior quickly realized his son would not survive in Haiti’s overcrowded and under-equipped hospital system, so he reached out to his friend Sarah Parker, a social worker, here in Plymouth.

The two met while Sarah was doing volunteer work in Haiti. Junior worked as a translator.

Sarah called her friends at the University of Michigan medical center and told them about baby Daniel. In light speed the university assembled a special medical team and flew to Haiti where they picked up Daniel and Junior, and flew them to metro Detroit.

When Daniel arrived in Ann Arbor there were some tense moments.

“His heart stopped he went into respiratory distress, but they brought him back,” Parker said.

Doctors worked day and night to solve the mystery of Daniel’s blood disorder. And while a cause has still not been determined, and Daniel was released, he continues to see his University of Michigan doctor and alternative treatments are underway.

“I love him so much. We have a lot of friends and people who have been helping in so many ways and praying for us. I just hope God keeps him with us,” Junior said.

If you want to keep track of Daniel’s progress or if you want to help the family, visit the baby Daniel's Facebook page by clicking here.