I saw this story on the news this weekend, and was not pleased. I feel compelled to write this open letter as a result:
To Mr. Tim Armstrong:
Wow. I am appalled at the statements you made at your town hall meeting regarding the cuts in benefits to your employees at AOL. Cuts are not, unfortunately, an uncommon occurrence these days, but the comments you gave as your reason? Gross. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you are probably among the fortunate people who have never gone through the hell of the NICU, because I cannot fathom that someone who has gone through that hell like my husband and I have would make such un-empathetic statements that are borderline violations of privacy.
Who cares how much your precious company had to compensate for benefits for the families who had preemies/critically ill babies in the NICU? THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS OUT OF ANYONE'S CONTROL. No one sits down in the morning, at, say, 29 weeks pregnant and thinks it's a grand idea to deliver their baby right then or within the next couple of days, nor do they do this to think about how they can drive up insurance costs for everyone else. It is something that happens, something that devastates parents and other family members of the tiny baby fighting for his or her life in an environment they should not be in yet. To imply that the families who had children in the NICU is a big reason why you're making cuts, and to point the finger at them indirectly, is disgusting!
Would you make the same implications over one of your employees who is dealing with a cancer diagnosis, either for themselves or for a family member that is a dependent on their policy? How about the family that is dealing with a loved one who has kidney failure and needs regular dialysis while they're waiting for a transplant? The list of conditions that can happen to ANYONE goes on, and so many of them cost millions of dollars to treat. Yet you think it's totally cool to act like the tool that you've proved you are by making the comments you did against something that is out of people's control!
What disturbs me even more are the other "higher ups" in big corporations who think just like you, yet haven't spoken out. Maybe they'll learn a lesson from your mistake. I hope everyone who thinks like you will learn from you, and will gain at least a little bit of empathy for those who are struggling day in and day out, and who are living with the unknown, not knowing if their next breath will be their last.
I'm grateful that my husband's place of employment hasn't indirectly pointed a finger at us for "driving up" healthcare costs for other employees. God knows we've had plenty of bills with staggering numbers, but I'm grateful that we have these benefits and aren't made to feel like we're a major problem that should be made an "example" of!
Really, you should be ashamed of yourself! Yes, you apologized, but only after the media firestorm happened. I do hope that you were sincere, and that you will learn a valuable lesson, and dare I say grow a pair, man up, and be a little kinder to other humans. A little empathy can go a long, long way.
Showing posts with label prematurity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prematurity. Show all posts
Monday, February 10, 2014
Friday, June 14, 2013
Awkward Encounters
The weather this week has been hit or miss, but there were 2 days that were nice and I was able to take Judith to our local park for a bit so she could burn off some energy outside. Despite the very heavy rains and storms yesterday morning and the rain overnight, I decided that today would probably be a good day to go again since it was likely it wouldn't be as crowded. So I packed her in the car, and we drove across town to the park, realizing that we would have the playground to ourselves as there wasn't anyone there at the time.
We were the only ones there for a good 10-15 minutes, and then 2 other ladies brought kids to play. I was all over the place because my little spider monkey decided to climb to the highest parts of the structure (yep, I'm that parent) and kept acting like she was going to come down the poles instead of sliding down the slides like I kept encouraging her to do. Finally she stopped threatening to walk over the edges and decided to play in some of the small puddles at the top of the slides. One of the other women saw her, and struck up a conversation with me.
It didn't take long before the inevitable comments started to come. We're literally talking a matter of a minute or less. There was the initial exchange of "Awww, she's so cute!", and no sooner was that out of the lady's mouth the comments came. "Oh, how old is she? She can't be 2 yet!" I said, "Uh, she's actually 2.5."
"No way! She's so tiny!" The lady said.
In my head, I cringed. But after 2.5 years of dealing with these types of comments, I'm prepared, and the speech is second nature. "Yeah, she's a preemie," I explained.
Then the other questions followed, just like I figured they would, and I knew it would be exhausting. I'm a fairly patient person, but having been through this so many times before I had to brace myself a bit so I could ensure I stayed patient.
"How early was she?"
"11 weeks early, she was 29 weeks gestationally."
"How big was she?"
"2 lbs."
"2 lbs?! No way! That's sooooooooo tiny!" (I thought, "why thank you for observing that! I had no clue!")
"How long was she in the hospital?"
"2 months."
"Wow, that must've been really hard having her there for 2 months!"
"Yeah, it was rough." (although I was thinking, "No shit it was really hard! I know we had it easier than some, but there were still some incredibly difficult and scary moments, and she almost died at the end of her NICU stay,")
"Did she have an easy stay?"
"She did relatively well." (again thinking similar thoughts to what I stated above)
"How long did she have glasses for? Is that a preemie thing? How do they even know they have problems with their eyes?!"
::insert explanation about her vision here::
And then there was the statement that really caught me off guard: "Wow! She looks so healthy now! That's so wonderful that she's such a healthy little girl!"
If I had a sound track for the moment, you'd hear that sound a needle makes scratching across a record. What the hell do you say to something like that? I mumbled something along the lines of, "Uh, yes. Yes she is!" and politely excused myself, wandering over to the slide to make sure Judith wasn't trying to lick the water off of it (and yes, I actually caught her doing it once and almost had a fit thinking about who-knows-what being in the water). I just couldn't bring myself to go into how she's doing well right now, but she's not really completely healthy and is battling a life threatening, life shortening disease.
I'm usually pretty open about some things, because I see it as a teachable moment for many people, and a moment where I can try to bring some awareness to the issues. Especially with something like CF, because so many people I've encountered have a lot of outdated information about the disease and don't realize how far research has come in recent years (which is understandable, because let's face it: before Judith's diagnosis, I harbored many of the same outdated pieces of information). But something today stopped me. Part of it was annoyance with all of the preemie talk, because at this point it's staler than a week old donut. Part of it was irritation with overly nosy strangers who don't always check their filters before speaking and keep pressing and pressing for details while staring at my child like she's some sort of side show. And part of it was not wanting to deal with more nosy questions and having to explain so many details about the disease when I would rather be playing with Judith at that moment.
Doing things like trips to the park are breaks for us from our regular CF routines, and it does help give us a sense of "normalcy" that we don't always get. So while I'm patient and always polite to strangers who are asking questions, I don't think people really understand that craving for normalcy unless they've been through a situation like having a premature child or one who has a genetic disease/physical disability/mental disability/insert whatever special need here. And frankly, at this point in the game, I really thought we had put a lot of these situations behind us, but I guess we'll still be dealing with some awkward encounters for a while.
We were the only ones there for a good 10-15 minutes, and then 2 other ladies brought kids to play. I was all over the place because my little spider monkey decided to climb to the highest parts of the structure (yep, I'm that parent) and kept acting like she was going to come down the poles instead of sliding down the slides like I kept encouraging her to do. Finally she stopped threatening to walk over the edges and decided to play in some of the small puddles at the top of the slides. One of the other women saw her, and struck up a conversation with me.
It didn't take long before the inevitable comments started to come. We're literally talking a matter of a minute or less. There was the initial exchange of "Awww, she's so cute!", and no sooner was that out of the lady's mouth the comments came. "Oh, how old is she? She can't be 2 yet!" I said, "Uh, she's actually 2.5."
"No way! She's so tiny!" The lady said.
In my head, I cringed. But after 2.5 years of dealing with these types of comments, I'm prepared, and the speech is second nature. "Yeah, she's a preemie," I explained.
Then the other questions followed, just like I figured they would, and I knew it would be exhausting. I'm a fairly patient person, but having been through this so many times before I had to brace myself a bit so I could ensure I stayed patient.
"How early was she?"
"11 weeks early, she was 29 weeks gestationally."
"How big was she?"
"2 lbs."
"2 lbs?! No way! That's sooooooooo tiny!" (I thought, "why thank you for observing that! I had no clue!")
"How long was she in the hospital?"
"2 months."
"Wow, that must've been really hard having her there for 2 months!"
"Yeah, it was rough." (although I was thinking, "No shit it was really hard! I know we had it easier than some, but there were still some incredibly difficult and scary moments, and she almost died at the end of her NICU stay,")
"Did she have an easy stay?"
"She did relatively well." (again thinking similar thoughts to what I stated above)
"How long did she have glasses for? Is that a preemie thing? How do they even know they have problems with their eyes?!"
::insert explanation about her vision here::
And then there was the statement that really caught me off guard: "Wow! She looks so healthy now! That's so wonderful that she's such a healthy little girl!"
If I had a sound track for the moment, you'd hear that sound a needle makes scratching across a record. What the hell do you say to something like that? I mumbled something along the lines of, "Uh, yes. Yes she is!" and politely excused myself, wandering over to the slide to make sure Judith wasn't trying to lick the water off of it (and yes, I actually caught her doing it once and almost had a fit thinking about who-knows-what being in the water). I just couldn't bring myself to go into how she's doing well right now, but she's not really completely healthy and is battling a life threatening, life shortening disease.
I'm usually pretty open about some things, because I see it as a teachable moment for many people, and a moment where I can try to bring some awareness to the issues. Especially with something like CF, because so many people I've encountered have a lot of outdated information about the disease and don't realize how far research has come in recent years (which is understandable, because let's face it: before Judith's diagnosis, I harbored many of the same outdated pieces of information). But something today stopped me. Part of it was annoyance with all of the preemie talk, because at this point it's staler than a week old donut. Part of it was irritation with overly nosy strangers who don't always check their filters before speaking and keep pressing and pressing for details while staring at my child like she's some sort of side show. And part of it was not wanting to deal with more nosy questions and having to explain so many details about the disease when I would rather be playing with Judith at that moment.
Doing things like trips to the park are breaks for us from our regular CF routines, and it does help give us a sense of "normalcy" that we don't always get. So while I'm patient and always polite to strangers who are asking questions, I don't think people really understand that craving for normalcy unless they've been through a situation like having a premature child or one who has a genetic disease/physical disability/mental disability/insert whatever special need here. And frankly, at this point in the game, I really thought we had put a lot of these situations behind us, but I guess we'll still be dealing with some awkward encounters for a while.
Friday, November 2, 2012
November is Prematurity Awareness Month
As my post title states, November is the month set aside for prematurity awareness. Even though CF has become the more dominant issue Judith's facing, it doesn't replace the fact that she was still born about 11 weeks early. On November 17th, World Prematurity Day, we'll wear purple in honor and in memory of all of the babies born too soon.
This month, a lot of my friends and fellow preemie mamas are doing special entries and features on their blogs. We have the honor of being featured on a blog from a good friend whose twins were born in February 2011, 2 days before my original due date with Judith. Hop on over to Our Valentine's Day Surprise and check it out!
This month, a lot of my friends and fellow preemie mamas are doing special entries and features on their blogs. We have the honor of being featured on a blog from a good friend whose twins were born in February 2011, 2 days before my original due date with Judith. Hop on over to Our Valentine's Day Surprise and check it out!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Support for Preemie Parents, Families, and Friends
I know that our blog has steadily become more of a focus on Judith's challenges with CF, but her prematurity is still a big factor in her well-being, and will always be a part of who she is. In the early days after her birth, I found comfort in blogging about her progress, but I also became a part of a wonderful community of ladies on a parenting website - many of those ladies were on the "age" boards, a few were on the special needs board and are fellow CF mamas, and the rest are wonderful mamas who also have preemies. Their support, encouragement, and understanding helped me to get through some of the rough days, and in turn I have been able to help other parents of preemies get through some of their rough days.
A while ago, a couple of these fine ladies created a blog that so many of us in the community have contributed to. It's designed to help, encourage, and support preemie parents, to help friends and family understand what it's like to have a preemie, to help friends and family get ideas of what they can do to help the new parents, and offers tips on various topics like exclusively pumping for a preemie, exclusively breastfeeding a preemie, germ control, early intervention, etc. In addition, many people have submitted their birth stories, and you can read about the wide range of experiences everyone had.
When you get a chance, check it out! Bookmark it, refer a new preemie family to it. You can find the blog at http://preemiemomblog.blogspot.com/. You can find additional support and information in the coordinating Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PreemieResources
A while ago, a couple of these fine ladies created a blog that so many of us in the community have contributed to. It's designed to help, encourage, and support preemie parents, to help friends and family understand what it's like to have a preemie, to help friends and family get ideas of what they can do to help the new parents, and offers tips on various topics like exclusively pumping for a preemie, exclusively breastfeeding a preemie, germ control, early intervention, etc. In addition, many people have submitted their birth stories, and you can read about the wide range of experiences everyone had.
When you get a chance, check it out! Bookmark it, refer a new preemie family to it. You can find the blog at http://preemiemomblog.blogspot.com/. You can find additional support and information in the coordinating Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PreemieResources
Friday, April 13, 2012
Breathing Treatments and EI
No guarantees that I can keep this post short - sorry! I'll break it into 2 parts though, because a lot has happened in the past couple of days!
Breathing Treatments
I gave Judith her first breathing treatment Wednesday night. That was an epic fail: Judith screamed through the entire treatment, and it was the type of fit she normally reserves for the doctors' offices. And since she had herself so worked up, she puked all over the place once the treatment was done. So not only did I have to worry about remembering what I needed to clean on the nebulizer, I had to clean up the vomit in the PnP and the Step & Play piano, plus change her and supervise her to make sure she didn't get into the dog water bowls. Fun times.
Thursday morning started the same way: she was refusing her treatment, was fighting me, and threw the mask with medicine cup attached on the floor... twice. Finally I had her sit on the couch (I was right next to her with a hand on her in case she decided to bolt) and tried holding the mask at her face instead of trying to strap it to her head. Throw in a little singing, and she was able to complete the rest of the treatment. I felt much more confident about things after seeing what would get her to respond, and I filed it in my mind for the next daytime treatment.
Thursday night, she slept through the entire treatment, which was my goal (it was my goal for Wednesday too, but she decided to wake up). Score!
This morning, she did well! Yes, she still shoved the mask away and wanted to play with it more, but we got the bulk of the treatment into her lungs since she allowed me to hold the mask against her face for longer periods.
Now let's hope that she continues to do that well for the remainder of the treatments!
Early Intervention
Judith's annual eval was yesterday afternoon, and I am very pleased with the results! Judith actually performed the majority of the tasks they were looking for, save for a couple things!
An hour and a half later, the paperwork was signed and we had the results. I can't remember what all of the specific numbers were (we should get the report in the mail soon), but I do remember that she's at a 16 month level in gross and fine motor, which means we're discharged from PT services! She's somewhere around 16-17 months for cognition, but is lacking in communication and speech - she scored around 11 months in those areas. As a result, she qualifies for speech services, and we will get those moving within a few weeks once we set up a time with the therapist and whatnot.
If you are unfamiliar with how EI performs these evaluations, they score the baby/toddler based off of their actual/chronological age, so for a preemie, it often looks like there's a bigger delay than what there really is. That's the case with Judith's speech and communication: if we adjust her age, she's actually within the normal range and would not qualify for services. But because they base it off her actual age, she qualifies. I'll do anything to help her get caught up to where she needs to be, and if speech services will be the final boost, so be it!
I was just thrilled to hear how well she's doing in so many areas, and to hear that she's almost completely caught up! At this rate, she will be caught up by age 2, and that makes me happy to know how far she's come in such a short time!
Breathing Treatments
I gave Judith her first breathing treatment Wednesday night. That was an epic fail: Judith screamed through the entire treatment, and it was the type of fit she normally reserves for the doctors' offices. And since she had herself so worked up, she puked all over the place once the treatment was done. So not only did I have to worry about remembering what I needed to clean on the nebulizer, I had to clean up the vomit in the PnP and the Step & Play piano, plus change her and supervise her to make sure she didn't get into the dog water bowls. Fun times.
Thursday morning started the same way: she was refusing her treatment, was fighting me, and threw the mask with medicine cup attached on the floor... twice. Finally I had her sit on the couch (I was right next to her with a hand on her in case she decided to bolt) and tried holding the mask at her face instead of trying to strap it to her head. Throw in a little singing, and she was able to complete the rest of the treatment. I felt much more confident about things after seeing what would get her to respond, and I filed it in my mind for the next daytime treatment.
Thursday night, she slept through the entire treatment, which was my goal (it was my goal for Wednesday too, but she decided to wake up). Score!
This morning, she did well! Yes, she still shoved the mask away and wanted to play with it more, but we got the bulk of the treatment into her lungs since she allowed me to hold the mask against her face for longer periods.
Now let's hope that she continues to do that well for the remainder of the treatments!
Early Intervention
Judith's annual eval was yesterday afternoon, and I am very pleased with the results! Judith actually performed the majority of the tasks they were looking for, save for a couple things!
An hour and a half later, the paperwork was signed and we had the results. I can't remember what all of the specific numbers were (we should get the report in the mail soon), but I do remember that she's at a 16 month level in gross and fine motor, which means we're discharged from PT services! She's somewhere around 16-17 months for cognition, but is lacking in communication and speech - she scored around 11 months in those areas. As a result, she qualifies for speech services, and we will get those moving within a few weeks once we set up a time with the therapist and whatnot.
If you are unfamiliar with how EI performs these evaluations, they score the baby/toddler based off of their actual/chronological age, so for a preemie, it often looks like there's a bigger delay than what there really is. That's the case with Judith's speech and communication: if we adjust her age, she's actually within the normal range and would not qualify for services. But because they base it off her actual age, she qualifies. I'll do anything to help her get caught up to where she needs to be, and if speech services will be the final boost, so be it!
I was just thrilled to hear how well she's doing in so many areas, and to hear that she's almost completely caught up! At this rate, she will be caught up by age 2, and that makes me happy to know how far she's come in such a short time!
Friday, March 2, 2012
15 Month Well Baby Visit
All I have to say is at least Judith's consistent! We had another fun-filled appointment, this time with her primary pediatrician for her 15 month well baby check. I'm super glad my dad was able to come and help me - it would've been next to impossible to talk to Dr. W. with Judith shrieking in my ear!
Judith was leery when we checked in, but as soon as she saw the nurses she started whining. The second we hit the exam room, she was in a full-blown pissed off state, and was clinging very tightly to my dad. It was an adventure undressing her and getting a dry diaper on her for an accurate weight!
She continued to shriek as the nurse measured her head, her length, and weighed her. Judith had herself that upset that once we got back to the room she puked all over my dad's shoulder and the floor. This was a new experience for us - not so much the puking, but her getting that upset that she puked. Lesson learned: don't feed her a lot before these appointments until she gets better about doctor visits!
The good news is she gained about half a pound since we were at the CF clinic last month, and she's back in the 3rd percentile for weight! She weighed 19 lbs and was 28" long (still not on the charts, but we'll get there eventually). I missed what her head circumference was because of her screaming, but I do know that she's still in the 10% for that. She's following her own curve, and her pediatrician is pleased with that! Granted, we'll have to wait and see what her CF team says at her next clinic visit, but I'm hoping that she's back on track for steady weight gain!
Everything else looked good too: her lungs were clear (yay!), her ears looked good, her joints are moving properly, and she's not showing really significant delays developmentally (at least nothing more than what we would expect because of her prematurity).
I knew Judith would be getting her next Synagis shot, but I didn't realize she would get 2 more shots. I thought we were caught up with everything and she would get more of them at her 18 month visit, but she ended up getting 2 more today. So she had 3 shots, but 4 needle sticks because of the pesky Synagis. My lack of realization with the shots is solely my fault - I forgot to check the CDC's recommended schedule before this appointment, so I need to remind myself to check it before her 18 month so I'm better prepared and not surprised!
Judith was leery when we checked in, but as soon as she saw the nurses she started whining. The second we hit the exam room, she was in a full-blown pissed off state, and was clinging very tightly to my dad. It was an adventure undressing her and getting a dry diaper on her for an accurate weight!
She continued to shriek as the nurse measured her head, her length, and weighed her. Judith had herself that upset that once we got back to the room she puked all over my dad's shoulder and the floor. This was a new experience for us - not so much the puking, but her getting that upset that she puked. Lesson learned: don't feed her a lot before these appointments until she gets better about doctor visits!
The good news is she gained about half a pound since we were at the CF clinic last month, and she's back in the 3rd percentile for weight! She weighed 19 lbs and was 28" long (still not on the charts, but we'll get there eventually). I missed what her head circumference was because of her screaming, but I do know that she's still in the 10% for that. She's following her own curve, and her pediatrician is pleased with that! Granted, we'll have to wait and see what her CF team says at her next clinic visit, but I'm hoping that she's back on track for steady weight gain!
Everything else looked good too: her lungs were clear (yay!), her ears looked good, her joints are moving properly, and she's not showing really significant delays developmentally (at least nothing more than what we would expect because of her prematurity).
I knew Judith would be getting her next Synagis shot, but I didn't realize she would get 2 more shots. I thought we were caught up with everything and she would get more of them at her 18 month visit, but she ended up getting 2 more today. So she had 3 shots, but 4 needle sticks because of the pesky Synagis. My lack of realization with the shots is solely my fault - I forgot to check the CDC's recommended schedule before this appointment, so I need to remind myself to check it before her 18 month so I'm better prepared and not surprised!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
World Prematurity Day (Part 2)
As World Prematurity Day comes to an end, I'd like to share some "Then & Now" pictures of Judith. I'm opting not to post her birth story today because you will get the full story starting in a week and a half (so stop by on the 29th for the first installment!).
We are so blessed that she has come so far, and is doing as well as she is today! So without further ado, here are the pictures of our little 29 week miracle:
We are so blessed that she has come so far, and is doing as well as she is today! So without further ado, here are the pictures of our little 29 week miracle:
Judith under the bililight. 1 day old
Judith sitting tall - beautiful baby girl! 11 months old
I would also like to take a moment to express our gratitude to the neonatologists, nurse practitioners, nurses, and the physical therapist at St. Luke's: without them and their care, we would not be where we are today. The NICU staff is truly wonderful, and we are so thankful for all of the excellent care they provide, and for the neverending support they offer to the parents of the little miracles that pass through the NICU doors! Thank you, and God bless each one of you!
World Prematurity Day
Today is World Prematurity Day. It's a day to help bring awareness to premature birth and the struggles these little miracles encounter. It's a day of honor and remembrance.
Every year, 1 million preemies die worldwide, and 12 million preemies worldwide struggle to survive.
So many complications can plague these tiny, fragile lives. Some of these complications will have a lifelong impact on the child, others will dissipate over time and with intervention.
I feel blessed that Judith is a survivor. Things could've turned out differently for us. I have an additional blessing in my niece, who was also a preemie - things could have been very different for her too. But through God's grace, both Judith and my niece are doing well today.
There are mothers whom I met on the message boards that have lost their babies that were born too soon. Today is a day to remember them.
Over the last 11 months, I've had the honor of meeting and getting to know a great group of other preemie mothers, both in the NICU and on the message boards. It feels wonderful knowing that there are friends who have similar experiences and understand what you go through that you can share your frustrations, joys, and care tips with. Today is a day to honor these babies.
Help us bring awareness to prematurity. Share our stories with others.
Every year, 1 million preemies die worldwide, and 12 million preemies worldwide struggle to survive.
So many complications can plague these tiny, fragile lives. Some of these complications will have a lifelong impact on the child, others will dissipate over time and with intervention.
I feel blessed that Judith is a survivor. Things could've turned out differently for us. I have an additional blessing in my niece, who was also a preemie - things could have been very different for her too. But through God's grace, both Judith and my niece are doing well today.
There are mothers whom I met on the message boards that have lost their babies that were born too soon. Today is a day to remember them.
Over the last 11 months, I've had the honor of meeting and getting to know a great group of other preemie mothers, both in the NICU and on the message boards. It feels wonderful knowing that there are friends who have similar experiences and understand what you go through that you can share your frustrations, joys, and care tips with. Today is a day to honor these babies.
Help us bring awareness to prematurity. Share our stories with others.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
November is Prematurity Awareness Month
A happy couple receives the exciting news that they are going to be parents. They will probably worry about the health of their baby and the health of the mother, but will be looking forward to meeting their goal of delivering a healthy, happy, term baby. They probably don't think a lot about what would happen if they don't meet that goal. They're not focused on preparing for anything other than a term baby. They're not prepared for a preemie. But they may end up as a statistic, 1 of 8 births.
We are the face of the 1 in 8.
We certainly weren't prepared for a preemie, or for the roller coaster ride of the NICU.
So many different factors contribute to a premature birth: sometimes the cause is known, as it was in our case (severe pre-e and IUGR), sometimes the cause is unknown (some women experience unexplained preterm labor, and their delivery cannot be stopped). Sometimes the cause is preventable.
The March of Dimes is working to help bring awareness to prematurity, and is helping to try to lower the rate of premature birth in this country. On their website, they state, "Premature birth costs society more than $26 billion a year and takes a high toll on families. Babies born just a few weeks early are at risk of severe health problems and lifelong disabilities. Premature birth is the number 1 killer of newborns." (www.marchofdimes.com)
We know all too well about the emotional and physical toll that comes with having a preemie. We're still waiting to see what lasting effects and/or complications Judith may have because of her very early arrival. We are very fortunate that, so far, she is doing as well as she is - not all preemies are as lucky as she is.
We, and all families of preemies, need your help. We need you to help spread the word about prematurity. On November 17, World Prematurity Day, talk to people about the statistics. Advocate for all preemies. You can also donate to the March of Dimes at this page on their website.
Our story is one of the over 1400 stories that happen every year. My prayer is that this number will decrease significantly, and no family will ever have to go through the hell of having their baby arrive too soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)