Please enjoy Preemie Prints' families’ inspirational story & photos.
Consider supporting our mission to share hope with families who have a baby born prematurely or critically ill. We thank our supporters, Preemie Prints volunteers, and donors for allowing us to continue touching the lives of NICU, preemie, and angel families.
We pray these special memories from Preemie Prints
will help families heal and remember how strong
they were in overcoming their NICU journey together.
A NICU STORY | THOUGHTS FROM MOM
“We are the proud parents of
Jackson Myles! Jackson was born on July 21, 2015 at 23 weeks gestation. He
weighed 1 lb. 6 oz and was 12 inches long. Jackson came into this world kicking
and fighting to live and we knew the chances of him surviving were very slim
but the minutes turned into hours, the hours into days and the days into
months.
He has had many ups and
downs since birth including a bleed on his brain on day 2 of life. His doctors
are unsure of how this will affect Jackson in the future, they worry about
cerebral palsy. He has also had five surgeries since birth. We don't know what
the future will hold for our little family but we love Jackson so much! We pray
for a miracle and try to take one day at a time.
We were only able to spend a
few minutes with Jackson right after birth and then he was transported to
another hospital an hour away. The second time I saw our son I cried. There
were so many tubes and wires. An alarm would sound on occasion. He was under a
blue light due to jaundice. All I could think was "My poor, poor baby!
This isn't the way it's supposed to be!" I wanted to hold him and somehow
make his world perfect again but I couldn't.
The first two weeks were a
whirlwind. Jackson was on a ventilator. He had a bleed on his brain on day 2 of
life. He had a heart murmur that needed to be closed with surgery. His skin was
so thin, causing issues with his electrolyte levels. His eyes were still fused
shut until he was 2 weeks old. They worried about his intestines so he was not
able to receive any milk until he was 3 weeks old. His condition was truly an
hour by hour process. One hour we would receive good news the next something
else seemed to be going wrong. There were so many medications and medical
terms. We wanted to know everything that was going on with our son but it was
also very overwhelming.
The bleed on Jackson's brain
did not re-absorb quickly causing spinal fluid to build up so he now has
hydrocephalus. A temporary shunt was placed at 3 weeks of age and he just had
an ETV done last week.
He has also had laser
surgery on his eyes two times. With the surgeries and weekly eye exams they are
hoping to save his vision.
As each week has gone by the
days have started to improve. He now has more good days than bad. There have
been so many discouraging and overwhelming times. But we also have had some
very precious moments. I will never forget the first time I held Jackson. He
wiggled for a few moments and then settled into a deep sleep. Then it was
daddy's turn to hold him...seeing my husband hold Jackson melted my heart! We
have watched Jackson grow and develop. We have been able to see his personality
come through. We see him respond to our voices. These are moments that we will
never forget.
NICU life is very hard. There are monitors and alarms that will drive you crazy. Sleep and food become
minor priorities. You cry. You pray. You watch your baby. You hope. You are
drained physically and emotionally.
We don't know how things
will be for our small family in the future but we are trying to hold on to
hope. We thank Jesus for everyday that we have with Jackson. His life is a gift
and a miracle.
He is "fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:14”
A Note From Sarah:
“It was truly an honor to
capture these images for this beautiful family. This couple has traveled a very
long road to have Baby Jackson in their arms today. Jackson has already brought
such light and joy into their lives. I know they cannot wait to have him home
where he belongs as well.”
Photos belong to our volunteer photographers, families,
and organization please do not use for any purpose.
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Preemie Prints is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization sharing hope with NICU families through a variety of support programs. One of those programs is the gift of NICU photography and preemie photography. NICU families from across the US can request a no-charge photography session by a Preemie Prints volunteer. The family request from can be found on the right side of our website. These sessions are free of charge and for any NICU family, regardless of time spent in the NICU. The NICU photo shoot can take place inside the NICU or after baby is discharged and at home until their 1st birthday. Facing time in a NICU with a premature or critically ill baby is an extremely difficult time for families. Preemie Prints has a mission to share hope by letting families know they are not alone. Preemie Prints currently has over 100 volunteers nationwide. We are always looking for more volunteers to share in our mission! If you are interested, please email sherri@preemieprints.org and visit our website at www.preemieprints.org. To date Preemie Prints and our volunteers have gifted over 400 NICU family sessions.
This was a Preemie Prints NICU photography session that took place near Dover, DE.
We're thankful to the family for sharing their story & memories in support of other NICU families.
