Sweet Isabella's NICU Grad Photo Shoot

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

“Our beautiful Isabella Elise was born at 24 weeks gestation, she came into this world weighing 1 lb 5 oz. She had a scaphoid abdomen (her anterior abdominal wall was sunken in) she had bruising across her chest and her right arm was swollen due to her movement in utero with no surrounding fluid, my water broke 5 days prior to me getting an emergency C-section. She was blue and not breathing when she was born. I was horrified! After the NICU team revived her they brought her to me, I could not believe how small she was! Her tummy was sunken in because her diaphragm was not inflating properly, I was told she was going to have to be transferred to Akron Childrens Hospital almost an hour away for surgery. I prayed so much and so hard for my precious little baby, please God just let her be ok! Give her a chance, let her live! By the grace of God the NICU called my room, Isabella would not have to go to Akron, her diaphragm corrected itself and a trach was placed in, she was stable. Thank you God! Now I just have to make it through the most critical first 48 hours. I was a wreck for 2 days scared out of my mind. But she made it! Then a week went by, then a month, now Isabella is 2 1/2 months old and for the most part is doing great! She is 4 lbs 12 oz! Finally able to wear clothes and in an open crib and is getting bigger and stronger everyday!! We still have a little way to go before she can come home, she still needs breathing support and has a feeding tube and she has some complications with retinopathy of prematurity, but she has come so far and is doing so much better than anybody thought she would. Like every NICU parents experience we have had our ups and downs, there's good days and not so good days but u can never lose faith or give up hope! There is so much power in prayer! My Isabella is a miracle baby I'm so proud of her and no matter how hard this experience has been I would not trade it for the world!”

A Note From Dr. Z:

“It was such a pleasure to meet Isabella and her mom this morning. Isabella is gorgeous and clearly such a fighter! She wiggled and stretched her way through her photo session (I think she may have even vogued a little). :) Her mama's strength and love for this little girl were obvious (and so apparent in the photos). Isabella is truly a miracle, and I'm honored to have had the opportunity to photograph this strong and lovely little girl.”

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 graduate photography session that took place near Struthers, OH.

We're thankful to the family for sharing their story & memories in support of other NICU families.