FORSYTH, Ga. — Editor's note: The above video is from a previous report on Baby Adeline.
An 8-month-old with an infectious smile and a fighting spirit is about to defy the odds yet again.
Adeline Burks was not expected to live to see three months old, but now, just before she turns eight months old, she is gearing up for her final surgeries. Her family shares that she will go in for two different surgeries in July that will hopefully end her vocal cord paralysis and help her digestion.
Adeline just took her first trip to the beach, and her Dad says she fell asleep as soon as she heard the waves.
Back in November, Adeline Burks' father, Forsyth County Deputy Sheriff Nathan Burks, asked people to send in letters to support the family. He said that hundreds of 11Alive viewers did just that.
"On October 25, 2023, we welcomed Adeline to our family," Nathan previously said. "On November 16, 2023, we added thousands more to our family - all of you. The love and support we have received is still overwhelming."
Adeline Burks' mom, Bella Burks, had a high-risk pregnancy. Nathan said they had weekly consultations with specialists leading up to her birth - and the challenges did not end there.
Just one day after Adeline's birth, her mother experienced a pulmonary edema, resulting in a week-long hospitalization. The family's resilience was tested again on Nov. 16, when concerns about Adeline's well-being led to a visit to the pediatrician. That's when medical officials called EMS and had Adeline taken to Scottish Rite for further care until she returned home in February.
Nathan said she's doing well, but there's still a long way to go in her recovery.
"We are happy to announce that Adeline is doing phenomenally, and while the road is long, she continues to make a full recovery," Nathan Burks said. "It’s hard to think just a few months ago, the doctors told us there was a chance she wouldn’t see the new year - and now here we are this week celebrating Jesus’ resurrection. We serve an awesome God.”
Nathan said he's proud of how far his daughter has come, and he is hoping these will be her last surgeries on her long road to recovery.