Showing posts with label NICU Family Support. Show all posts
Robinson Family
Family Story Assets (Word Document, Photos)
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*** Below are just a few samples of Jag's photos. For the full amount, please use the link above to view the photos on the OneDrive cloud account. There are over 800 photos ***
Click here to download
Our
little journey began on February 26th, 2015. That was the day my husband and I
found out that we were going to be parents for the first time. Little did we
know our journey was about to be a roller coaster ride no parent wants to go
on! The amount of emotion we had was unbelievable!
We were so thankful and
filled with so much joy that the Lord gave us this precious miracle!!! I had
been on Clomid to try and get pregnant. We went to the doctor in March and found
out our baby would be here around November 5th. June rolled around and we found
out that we were having a little boy!!!!
Brian and I both were so excited about
our sweet baby boy!!!
When July came we started seeing that Jag was measuring
behind 2 weeks and then the next week we went to see Dr. Sandlin at UAMS and
Jag was now measuring another week behind.
That day Dr. Sandlin prepared us
that we would most likely be having a premature baby. He wasn't sure at the
time what was causing his growth lag or how premature he would be. I was 26
weeks to the day that day we saw him.
I remember being so overwhelmed and
didn't know whether to cry or just get down on my knees and pray for my sweet
baby. Brian was so strong for me but I know he was worried. We didn't know at
this point if our baby would make it. The fear of the unknown was surrounding
us at this point.
The next day my blood pressure began to rise. Then that
Saturday I was admitted to UAMS for observation and they did multiple tests and
I was a puzzle to all of the doctors. They said I wasn't a text book example of
preeclampsia but I had some symptoms.
That following Wednesday they decided I
was doing good and I could possibly go home in bed rest the next day if my
blood work came back good. The Saturday before I received steroid injections in
case I had Jag so that maybe that would help his lungs. Early Thursday morning
around 3:30 I woke up hurting in my back. I thought it was gas pain or from
being in that bed for so many days. My lab work was drawn at 4:00 am and I had
received some medicine to see if it was gas. The pain just continued to get
worse and so they decided to check my lab again and found that my platelet
count had dropped more and my liver enzymes elevated.
They told me then I had
HELLP syndrome and that I had to have my baby or I would continue to get worse
and it would eventually hurt the baby lose him or worse we could lose us both.
Jag Colby Robinson was born at 27 weeks and was 1 pound 5 ounces and 13 inches
long on August 6th, 2016 at 11:01 am!!! Our sweet little man spent 117 days in
the NICU at UAMS. He had the best care from the nurses, doctors, respiratory
therapists and other therapy team members.
March of Dimes was also another
wonderful group of people that made our stay in the NICU more memorable. I
never imagined someone so tiny could have such a large impact in our lives!!!
We are so thankful for our little miracle!
Jag is now 9 months old or 6 months
adjusted. He is our real life super hero!!!! My husband and I are truly blessed
the Lord gave us our sweet baby Jag!!
*** Below are just a few samples of Jag's photos. For the full amount, please use the link above to view the photos on the OneDrive cloud account. There are over 800 photos ***
Tag :
fertility,
hellp,
hellp syndrome,
MaternalHealth,
NFS,
NICU,
NICU Family Support,
Prematurity,
Guzman Family
Family Story Assets (Word Document, Photos)
Click here to download
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Rubi Guzman had an uneventful pregnancy
until, for unknown reasons, she went into early
labor. Her son, Andres, was born prematurely
on September 28, 2015, at 25 weeks, weighing
1 lb.,15 oz. Nothing could prepare Rubi and
her husband, Israel, for the fear and uncertainty
that would come during most of their baby’s
4-month hospital stay, but March of Dimes
NICU Family Support was there to help.
While the professionals in the NICU at Northwestern Prentice Women’s Hospital
in Chicago handled Andres’s medical emergencies, Jessica Bowen, MSW, LCSW, NICU Family Support Specialist, immediately cared for his parents. Rubi says, “I never had
to go looking for her. She always found us!” Jessica offered information about the NICU; helped them create a keepsake of their baby’s milestones; prepared them for their first Kangaroo Care experience — holding their son skin-to-skin — and set up holiday celebrations.
While the professionals in the NICU at Northwestern Prentice Women’s Hospital
in Chicago handled Andres’s medical emergencies, Jessica Bowen, MSW, LCSW, NICU Family Support Specialist, immediately cared for his parents. Rubi says, “I never had
to go looking for her. She always found us!” Jessica offered information about the NICU; helped them create a keepsake of their baby’s milestones; prepared them for their first Kangaroo Care experience — holding their son skin-to-skin — and set up holiday celebrations.
“I try to anticipate ways that we can make each day just a little bit
easier — with a class, a change in family-centered care practices, or
something as simple as a smile,” Jessica explains. She also arranged
for Sara Johnson, a former NICU parent of twins and a key part of
the parent-to-parent volunteer program, to spend time with the
family and listen to their concerns. “I wanted to get involved to
provide hope, encouragement and support to the Guzmans because
that same compassion had such a positive impact on my own family,”
Sara explained.
Israel, Andres’s dad, spent as much time as he could by his son’s side and recalls, “Without
NICU Family Support, our whole experience would have been scarier. The professionals were
great, but we couldn’t expect them to be with us.” The best preparation with Jessica and the
staff was the 3-week transition from hospital to home, leading up to Andres’s discharge on
January 28, 2016, after 123 days, when he weighed 8 lbs.,12 oz.!
Pimpare Family
Family Story Assets (Word Document, Photos)
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Interview with Lauren Pimpare, new MOD Boston board member, and mom of Boston, born at 34 weeks.
In 2011, I was working as a hospital administrator and was pregnant with my second child. I carried my first child for 41 weeks, but the second time around, my water broke at 32 weeks. I rushed to the hospital where I worked and was put on bedrest. Our goal was to get me to 34 weeks and, like clockwork, my contractions started two weeks later. Boston was born face first — not head first, but face first. He was lifeless. The NICU team was already in the room, and they revived him after two minutes. His APGAR score was zero.
Boston was whisked out of the room to the NICU. There were no congratulations. Nobody asked us what his name was. In the NICU, Boston was awake, stable and breathing on his own. My husband and I didn’t understand the magnitude of what had happened.
After a week, our doctor brought us into a large room filled with NICU nurses and neonatologists, and just a huge group, because these people knew me — they were my co-workers and they felt a responsibility. They told us that Boston showed limited brain activity. Our son would be completely dependent on us, they said. He’d need a feeding tube; he’d be a vegetable. Afterward, when we were alone, my husband and I made a promise that we would do everything we could to help Boston reach his full potential.
He spent 40 days in the NICU. We held him and did kangaroo care all day, every day. I will never forget when the March of Dimes showed up and brought a purple bag filled with all kinds of baby stuff and resources for once we had left the hospital. They made a cast out of Boston’s footprint for us, and that was the first moment I felt like, “Oh yeah, I’m a mother.” They gave me that. We have experienced such kindness and support. We truly understand what joy is.
This story doesn’t end with Boston kicking a ball on a soccer field at age 6. He is blind, and he cannot sit, walk or talk. He has cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder and has been in and out of the hospital so many times. We’ve traveled all over for different therapies. He’s very smart, he just has no way to communicate it. And now he’s a big brother to little sister Coco, 2. He just loves his sisters, and they love him.
I got involved with the March of Dimes because I want to ensure that no family has to go through what we went through. I don’t want any mom to cry. I don’t want any dad to cry. I just want it to be what it’s supposed to be when you bring a healthy baby into this world. If we can just keep those babies in for 40 weeks, then we can give every baby a fighting chance.
Tanuvasa Family
“Having a
premature baby was definitely NOT the plan. The first few hours, days, and even
weeks were the scariest of my entire life.
Then the nurses became friends and
not just health care professionals. Amy came by and sat and spoke with me all
about March of Dimes and what they offered, which is really just a good
friend/support.
The doctors would stop by even when Abraham wasn’t their
assignment and became just as genuinely excited as we were about Abraham’s
progress, even if it was the smallest victory, like increasing a feed by 5 mL!
Having a premature baby, introduced us to an entire community of people that we
would never have been blessed to know!”
