Some of the sickest and smallest Hurricane Ian evacuees are being treated at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg.

Four-month-old Jireh Escobar is one of more than twenty pediatric patients flown to the hospital via Lifeline. "We came here by storm, literally," said Jireh's mother, Niki Lynch Escobar.

Her 4-month-old son has Down Syndrome and just got out of the neonatal intensive care unit with a respiratory virus. Before the helicopter transport to St. Petersburg, the Esocbars rode out Hurricane Ian in their Fort Myers home.

As the storm got worse, so did the baby's breathing. "He had congestions and breathing and his oxygen levels were really poor at that time just from him trying to make it through the night.," said Lynch Escobar.

The Escobars, trying to make it through the night, trying to make it through a hurricane.

"There was one point that I literally put my mouth on his face like on his nose to blow to see if that would work because you’re trying everything," said Lynch Escobar. "There's no power, we have a battery-operated fan for him trying to keep him cool, wanting to keep him calm and settled.

When Niki called 911, storm conditions meant it would take ten hours for help to arrive. "As we were going to the hospital which is out by the beach, we're coming down the road and we see people on canoes canoeing back towards us,” said Lynch Escobar.

Just as quickly as Jireh was admitted to the hospital, they were evacuated. Initially, Niki didn't even know where they were going for treatment. "When we were flown here, there was a sense of peace because I know that he would be taken care of,” said Lynch Escobar.

While there's peace knowing her baby is getting better, Niki's husband and three other children are back in Fort Myers. Worry sets in about the rest of the family.

"What’s my mom and grandma going to do? Half the roof on the backside, that’s lifted up and missing.” This mom is trying to take it all in.

"I’ve seen parts, bits and pieces but just really just let it sit and soak I don’t think I’ve had a chance to," said Lynch Escobar.

Meantime, she's  taking every chance to be grateful for safety and every sign of her son's improving health.