Smiling preemie photo makes the world smile

Credit: Lauren Vinje/ Facebook (Copyright by WSLS - All rights reserved)

A photo of a smiling 5-day-old preemie has become a worldwide sensation, inspiring others, including the parents of other children born prematurely.

Lauren Vinje shared the picture of her daughter on the "Love What Matters" page on Facebook.

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Vinje says the picture as taken when her daughter, born on Thanksgiving Day 2014, was just five days old and weighed just 3 lbs. and 4 oz.

Freya was born at 28 weeks and remained in the NICU until Dec. 21.

"She was happy to be alive," Vinje wrote on the Facebook post. "This picture was one I looked at often to get me through the ups and downs of our NICU days. Life is so precious."

Two years later, Freya is doing great.