Anette Dixon and her husband had been married for five years when they decided to add to their family. At 20 weeks into her pregnancy, she learned she would be having a boy.

Two weeks later, her water broke. 

“Every hospital refused to keep me because a baby isn’t considered viable until 24 weeks,” said Dixon, recalling the panic she and her husband faced as they went from hospital to hospital in both Clovis and Lubbock only to be turned down by doctors. “Which I disagree with. My son had a heartbeat since he was conceived. Thankfully through my prayers, my son ended up staying in my belly until 24 weeks to be born.” 

On January 25, 2015, Kade Dixon was born, weighing in at one pound, 10 ounces, making him what doctors refer to as a “micro-premie.” 

In three months Kade and his family spent at University Medical Center, the NICU quickly became a second home. Dixon says the doctors, nurses and UMC staff became a second family. 

“I’m so grateful to them because they gave my son a chance to live, and they were there helping him survive. They were helping him breathe,” said Dixon. “I don’t think a lot people give NICU doctors and nurses the appreciation they deserve. They’re giving these babies a chance to live.” 
 
Dr. Joy Brooks was one of the first doctors that got to meet Kade when he was born. In her three years at UMC, she has worked with hundreds of babies and families, but says there was something particularly different about Kade. 
 
“He has really pretty eyes. They were this remarkable shade of hazel,” said Dr. Brooks. “He was captivating and magnetic, I mean you couldn’t help it but to love him. He had this look of hope in his eyes, and determination.”
 
Dr. Brooks said she developed a deep relationship with Kade’s family, saying they were significantly persistent in staying by Kade’s side every single day that he was in the NICU. 
 
Kade beat the odds, overcoming numerous obstacles for someone his size, but at 13 months, his life was cut short due to pulmonary hypertension. 
 
The loss was devastating for both family and his doctors, but they realized his story of hope didn’t have to end there. 
 
While Kade was still alive, Dixon had created a Facebook page called “Keeping Up with Kade,” as a way to show family and friends how he was doing, as well as to serve as a beacon of hope and support for other families whose children were sick.
 
When Kade passed away, she changed the page to “Team Kade’s Warriors,” where she continues to share pictures of Kade, messages of support and post about fundraisers for families currently undergoing financial struggles as their child recovers in the hospital. 
 
“Our goal is to be there for other families who have sick children in the hospital,” said Dixon. “Let them know they’re not alone and let the know there are also other people rooting for them.” 

Although Kade’s mom and dad say they’re sad to spend the holidays without their son, they also say it’s because of him they’ve realized a higher calling in life. 

“No matter how long you’re on this earth, you can be somebody’s superhero. You can be someone’s ‘Super Kade.'”

Dixon says she and her husband had originally planned on only having one child when they had Kade, but are now considering having more in the future. 

“We’re just leaving it in God’s hands, and when Kade decides to send us his sibling we’ll leave it to him.”

November marks Prematurity Awareness Month, and this season of thanks, the Dixons are just one of several families hoping to give back to others by sharing their son’s story of hope. Doctors say about 380,000 babies are born premature in the United States each year. 

You can find the group on Facebook, the page is called Team Kade Warriors.