SPRINGFIELD — A baby boy who spent his first weeks fighting for life in the NICU is now fighting for “Baby of the Year.”

Ten-month-old Juliane Maldonado was born at 30 weeks and weighed just two pounds. His first moments were spent more in the NICU than in his mother’s arms. “I thought I was losing him,” said Samalid Maldonado, Juliane’s mother. “For two weeks, I couldn’t touch him, I couldn’t hold him, I couldn’t do what I’m doing right now.”

Juliane needed help breathing assistance and has some ongoing feeding issues. Now back home in Springfield, he has become a finalist in a national contest. “But now, as you can see, he’s a happy baby, he’s strong,” Maldonado added.

The Baby of the Year competition is held in collaboration with Variety Magazine and Baby2Baby, a nonprofit that provi

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