A Story of Hope and Resilience on World Prematurity Day
November 17, 2025
A Story of Hope and Resilience on World Prematurity Day
Family reflects on son’s fight for life, 161 days in the NICU, and the support that helped him thrive
Niagara Falls, ON – When Carla Farabulini thinks back to the day her son Gabriel entered the world, the memories are still vivid. Born at just 23 weeks, her baby—who is now walking, playing and turning pages of his favourite books—spent his first months fighting for every breath.
“Everything happened so quickly,” she recalls. “My husband and I were confused and overwhelmed. It felt like our world had been turned upside down as we tried to understand a situation no parent ever expects to live through.”
Gabriel spent 161 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), a time Carla describes as the most challenging of their lives. The uncertainty, separation and constant shifts in his condition took an emotional toll.
“Every day felt like an emotional roller coaster,” she says. “The updates could change completely from morning to afternoon, and living with that uncertainty was incredibly hard. But we had to stay strong so we could be present for our son.”
The family was connected with Niagara Children’s Centre when Gabriel was about one year old, where he began receiving physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and support from a resource consultant and social worker.
“The Centre has been incredible in every possible way,” Farabulini says. “Everything Gabriel has achieved so far is not only the result of his own hard work, but also the guidance, therapies and ongoing support we receive from the team.”
One of the most significant milestones came when Gabriel took his first independent steps. “We had been told he might eventually need support to walk,” Carla explains. “But his physiotherapist encouraged us to continue therapy a little longer. Her guidance made an enormous difference—Gabriel walking on his own was truly remarkable.”
Today, at two years old, Gabriel is determined, affectionate and endlessly curious. “He is brave, strong and has been fighting since the day he was born,” Farabulini says. “He is always smiling. He is truly our miracle.”
Noella Klawitter, CEO of Niagara Children’s Centre, says Gabriel’s progress reflects both the resilience of premature infants and the importance of early intervention.
“Children like Gabriel show us what’s possible when families, medical teams and therapists work together in hope,” says Klawitter. “His journey is a powerful reminder of the strength these children possess and the essential role early childhood rehabilitation plays in helping them thrive.”
Farabulini hopes her family’s experience offers encouragement to parents currently navigating premature birth.
“This will likely be the hardest experience of your life,” she says. “Hold on to hope, stay close and take it one day at a time. You are stronger than you think—and so is your child.”
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About Niagara Children’s Centre: Niagara Children’s Centre provided rehabilitation and child development services to more than 5,900 children and youth last year across the Niagara Region with physical, developmental and communicative delays. The range of services include: physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language services, augmentative and alternative communication, family services and therapeutic recreation.
For further information, contact: Michael Morrison, Marketing & Communications Officer
Phone: 905-688-1890 ext. 260
Email: michael.morrison@niagarachildrenscentre.comPhoto caption:
Gabriel Costa, born at 23 weeks premature, stands in front of a bookshelf ready to select something to read.