An Iowa mother who gave birth to a 13-ounce baby boy after her water broke at 23 weeks has praised her 'miracle' son as he continues to fight for his life in the NICU. 

Ellonn Smartt, 25, from Des Moines, was due to give birth to her son with boyfriend Jordan Morrow, 25, in November. However on July 11, five months into her pregnancy, her water suddenly broke and she was rushed to the hospital by her family, where doctors explained they needed to perform an emergency C-section. 

'They said I was going to have to deliver in the next day or two and there was a good chance he wouldn't survive,' Smartt told Today. 'That was the moment when I fell apart. I was heartbroken.'

However, Smartt, who also has a three-year-old son, Elijah, was determined to remain calm in order to prevent putting any extra stress on her unborn child. 

'I knew if I panicked, the baby would pick up on that and get stressed,' she explained. 'I couldn't let that happen.'