The chances of Madison Kennedy surviving were close to zero. In fact, her parents were told to say goodbye five times, but somehow, she survived being born more than three months prematurely.

After her 21st birthday, Madison felt it was finally time to meet the NICU nurse who took care of her while at Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

Madison Kennedy’s birthday was never supposed to be Dec. 5, 2004.

“I had a very low chance of making it. A lot of preemies do. If you make it, you’re amazing,” said Madison.

“They were so kind, they told me every little thing. They said, ‘She rolled over. She moved her foot,’ every little thing, almost like I was there,” said Madison’s mother, Christine.

Nurse Janine Buggle spent months by tiny Madison’s side.

“She’s gorgeous, she’s beautiful, she’s still thriving at 21. It’s honestly amazing to me,” said Buggle.

Christine says they had no time to prepare for the early delivery because the premature labor was all caused by a car accident. They rushed to the NICU at Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

“At that point, I told my husband I resigned the fact that she’s going to die, and I told my husband pick out a name for her because I didn’t want her to die without a name. And here she is, 21 years later, you know?” said Christine.

But Madison beat that nearly zero chance of survival. Today, her adult heart is set on becoming a veterinarian to help give back.

“If you keep positive vibes, keep the lord with you and trust your doctors, it will be OK in the end,” said Madison.

Janine's message to parents facing similar situations is to never give up hope.

“It's one day at a time. It's all we can do. It's one day at a time at the NICU," she says.

“I was just a tiny little pea, and now I'm just a huge beanstalk,” said Madison.