Chris Pratt Gives Heart-wrenching Speech About His Son's Premature Birth

By
Getty Images

Just when you think you can't love him anymore, Chris Pratt goes and makes this speech.

During Friday's March of Dimes Celebration of Babies, the 35-year-old Guardians of the Galaxy star spoke to the crowd about his son Jack Pratt's premature birth. Pratt and his wife Anna Faris' son was born nine weeks early in Aug. 2012 and weighed only 3 pounds, 12 ounces. "That's a decent-sized bass," he joked of his son's size at birth (via Variety). "Very small for a human."


PHOTOS: You Named Your Kid What?! Bizarre Celebrity Baby Names

Recalling the emotional moment that he held his son, Pratt continued, "I made promises in that moment about what kind of dad I wanted to be and I just prayed that he'd live long enough that I could keep them."

While the doctors told the couple that Jack may need cosmetic surgery to correct his eyes and he possible might have special needs, Pratt and Faris took their son home after a month in the NICU and so far, he's happy and healthy. "Our Jack went from a small, helpless little squirt to a strong, smart, happy, funny, beautiful boy who loves monster trucks and Daniel Tiger, and, believe it or not, loves vegetables," the Parks and Recreation star was happy to report. "Broccoli and cherry tomatoes are his favorite foods."

A photo posted by anna faris (@anna.faris) on

"None of what we went through would be as easy even 10 years ago," the actor told the crowd, crediting charities like March of Dimes for helping babies like his son.

The March of Dimes luncheon raised more than $1 million. Eddie Redmayne, Selena Gomez, Emily Blunt and John Krasinski and a slew of other stars were also in attendance.

Pratt recently opened up to GQ about the birth of his son. "We were told, 'OK, you need to be prepared for raising a special-needs child,'" he recalled to the publication. "And we felt like it was devastating, but it also felt like, you know, 'We can do this.' He's alive."


VIDEO: Chris Pratt Interrupts Interview To French Braid Intern's Hair

"It restored my faith in God, not that it needed to be restored, but it really redefined it," he told People in July of the trying time. "The baby was so beautiful to us, and I look back at the photos of him and it must have been jarring for other people to come in and see him, but to us he was so beautiful and perfect."