“The nurse told us, ‘We can help the heart patients, not the lung patients.’ The air was knocked out of me. I had to put my emotions aside. Nothing could stop him.”
‘It’s not time!’ I thought I gave my baby a death sentence. But our little boy became a MIRACLE.’: Mom of 7 births baby with CDH and BPS, ‘His determination kept me going’
‘We need to deliver this baby NOW!’ The NICU is a dance between life and death. We took one step forward, three steps back.’: Mom of micro preemie to become nurse, ‘I’m giving back’
“Our journey was a rollercoaster. It’s wanting to hold your child, but knowing it is best you don’t sometimes. It’s yearning for normalcy in a world of the unfamiliar. For me, there was no greater fear than going back.”
‘My baby is sick. You might be able to help.’ I met her the next day with a trunk full of milk. She began crying.’: Mom donates over 1000 ounces of breast milk, ‘I’ve never felt more proud’
“As a new mom, I had no idea what was ‘normal.’ There was no room in my freezer. I was met with shock I had that much milk. I felt convicted to help.”
‘He asked, ‘What do those two lines mean? Is this real life?’ We were wildly unprepared for a baby. I’m only 23!’: Young mom discusses challenging pregnancy and NICU journey
“The stress and worry of the NICU life, the hospital bill and being away from my daughter, trying to ‘lead a normal life’, was debilitating. I was not okay, but I tried to be; I had to be okay for her. She fought harder for her life in 27 days than most people do in 27 years.”
‘The tech lubed my belly. ‘OMG. There are SO MANY!’ My heart dropped. ‘So many what?!’: Mom births triplets after battling infertility, ‘It’s hard, but in the end it’s all worth it!’
“I struggled to eat because my belly always felt so full. Every day I assumed it would be the day we rush to the hospital, but days went by and somehow, I kept them in. When they pulled out the first baby, it felt like a 5 lb. weight was lifted off my lungs. ‘If you can get out of bed and into a wheelchair, you can go see the babies.’ Challenge accepted.”
‘I cried as soon as I saw the tech’s pale face. ‘I feel sick,’ she said out loud. ‘What other choice do we have?’ She looked like she could throw up.’: Twin ‘warrior princesses’ survive ‘fatal’ twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome
“We found out very early on. 7 weeks into the pregnancy, the doctor looked at the sonogram and said, ‘Twins!’ But that’s not all. They were going to share a placenta, but not an amniotic sac. ‘This is a very high-risk pregnancy. This could take the life of your girls.’ It was gut-wrenching news. We would do everything possible to fight, to save my girls. They had a 0% chance of survival.”
‘What are you doing in the boy’s bathroom? You look like a girl!’ The longer it got, the more judgemental others got.’: Boy grows hair to donate to kids in need, ‘Heart, not hair is what matters’
“‘That is such irresponsible parenting.’ He knew his own story. He knew the battles I’d faced when he was just a tiny little thing, and he wanted to help other families who were not as lucky as us. He had this big grin on his face when he touched the back of his head and felt his neck.”
‘It’s time to let go.’ They wrapped him in his Superman blanket. Daddy held his little boy, for the last time.’: Couple lose first child to extremely rare YARS2 disorder, ‘Every single day we miss his smell, his little personality’
“This was no ‘ear infection.’ How could I not have known? The walk to the hospital was silent. When we got to his room, he was still warm. It was the first time we’d seen him without tape, monitors, and wires all over. He was absolutely beautiful. I cried and kissed his cheeks. ‘I’m so proud of you. You were so strong. Thank you for letting me be your mommy.’ I cuddled him like I did the first day he was born. I gave him one final kiss, and handed him to his daddy.”
‘I remember waking up and wondering why Mike and my mother were talking about something random and not the baby. What happened to the baby?’
“They told us many times that our best option was to take his breathing tube out and he would either pass in my arms or thrive.”
‘As a parent who has lost two children, it’s the question I dread the most.’
“The lady smiled as my daughter answered her question, then looked to me and said, ‘Wonderful! So the other kids must be home with dad.’ I simply nodded. Sometimes it’s just easier to stay silent.”
