These Then-and-Now Photos of Premature Babies Prove How Resilient Preemies Really Are

Premature babies certainly have it tough: because they have less time to develop in the womb, they often face hardships shortly after birth. From long hospital stays to health issues including heart conditions and underdeveloped organs to delayed developmental milestones, these preemies – born as early as 23 weeks but typically between 34 and 36 weeks – have an uphill battle to fight from the very start.

Red Méthot, a photographer from Quebec, decided to show just how resilient premature babies are in a touching photo series titled "Les Premás."

His portraits depict mostly children — but several adults — who were born prematurely holding a framed photograph of themselves as newborns, many strapped to ventilators and countless wires. Despite, as Méthot wrote on Facebook, the "difficult journey at the beginning of life," these then-and-now images are a true sign that the once-weak babies are now thriving. As he noted, "You can see what they have become."