A baby girl, born weighing less than one pound, is now home with her Arizona family, almost six months after she was born at just 25 weeks gestation.

Kallie Bender was born at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, in May with accompanying complications.

Baby Bender spent 150 days in the neonatal intensive care unit while her parents, Ebonie and Dameon, travelled forty minutes every day to visit her in the hospital. Now, finally, they can have her home.

Kallie, weighing seven pounds now, still relies on an oxygen tank and feeding tube, but doctors and parents report she is getting stronger every day.

Ebonie says to LifeNews, “We’ve come such a long way and, coming here every day, I see faces every day and I’m going to miss seeing those.

“But it’s sweet because I don’t have to make this commute anymore.”

One of Kallie's doctors, Dr. Vinit Manuel, medical director of the nursery intensive care unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, credits the baby's parents for being so involved in her recovery

“They were by her bedside, reading to her. It’s not possible to quantify, but research shows it’s very important for the baby’s development,” he says.

“We’re thrilled that after nearly five months Kallie is going home with the family,” added Becky Cole, one of Kallie’s primary nurses. “We’ve loved being able to watch her grow and are excited for her to celebrate many milestones in the future with her parents and brothers.”