Note: we are republishing this story which originally made the news in June 2023.
In a jaw-dropping moment that has stunned parents and medical professionals alike, a Pennsylvania mother captured her newborn daughter performing feats of strength typically months ahead of her developmental stage.
Newborn Nyilah Daise Tzabari being held by her mother, Photo Credit: samantha_elizabeth/Instagram
Samantha Mitchell, 34, captured a stunning moment on video as her newborn daughter, Nyilah Daise Tzabari, was seen crawling and lifting her head—an extraordinary feat for a baby just three days old. “I’ve spent more than 20 years around children, and I’ve never witnessed anything like this,” Mitchell shared with Kennedy News.
The extraordinary moment was caught on camera on March 2, 2023, less than three days after Nyilah’s birth. Arriving three weeks past her due date at 43 weeks gestation, the baby weighed a healthy 7 pounds, 6 ounces. Mitchell says she recorded the video on the advice of her mother, who witnessed the early crawling and urged her to document it.
Samantha holding her newborn daughter Nyilah Daise Tzabari, Photo Credit: samantha_elizabeth/Instagram
“No one would have believed me if I didn’t capture it,” Mitchell said. “Even my fiancé, Ofer, wasn’t there, and I knew he’d need to see it to believe it.”
In the clip, baby Nyilah can be seen propping herself up on her arms, supporting her head, and crawling forward—a milestone that typically doesn’t happen until babies are six to nine months old, according to Healthline.
“This wasn’t just a fluke,” Mitchell said. “Her strength has been astonishing from the very first day.”
Newborn Nyilah Daise Tzabari seen crawling and lifting her head at only 3 days old, Photo Credit: samantha_elizabeth__/Tiktok
Nyilah’s remarkable abilities didn’t stop there. By just 18 days old, she was rolling over from her belly to her back. At two months, she began rolling from her back to her belly. Now three months old, the baby is already standing with support, prompting Mitchell to predict she’ll start walking sooner than expected.
“She refuses to sit down,” Mitchell said. “We’re not encouraging her to stand, but she refuses to bend her knees.” She’s incredibly determined.”
The baby’s advanced development extends beyond physical milestones. Mitchell shared that Nyilah began mimicking sounds at just six weeks, attempting to repeat phrases like “I love you.”
“She babbles back at us as if she’s trying to copy what we say,” Mitchell said. “She even reacts to our laughter by repeating sounds to make us laugh again.”
Newborn Nyilah Daise Tzabari seen crawling and lifting her head at only 3 days old, Photo Credit: samantha_elizabeth__/Tiktok
Mitchell and Tzabari posted the video on TikTok, where it quickly went viral, amassing 6.6 million likes. Comments poured in, with users joking about Nyilah’s precocious behavior. “She’ll be working by next week at this rate!” one user quipped, while another wrote, “That baby’s been here before and has things to do!”
Tzabari, experiencing fatherhood for the first time, initially thought such behavior was normal for newborns. “I didn’t realize how unusual it was until people started telling me,” he admitted.
As for Mitchell, she’s taking it all in stride. “She’s such a joyful, smiley baby,” she said. “She surprises us every day, and we’re excited to see what she’ll do next.”
