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
"If I could say one
thing to NICU families it would be this; keep calm and carry on. Things change
by the minute in the NICU and worrying about what may or may not come will
consume you. Cherish every singe precious moment you have with your little one
and rejoice in the milestones but know it's okay to cry at the setbacks. These
babies are strong and they fight harder than anyone is every meant to so early
on in their lives. Our son, Jack, made it a habit to push himself though every
stage as quickly as possible and sometimes we had to take a step back and make
him rest for a day or two before continuing.
The beginning of our story
came with the news that my cervix was incompetent and I was dilating too soon
at 20 weeks pregnant. I spent 3 weeks on bed rest at home but then ended up on
hospital bed rest for the next 5 weeks after that as my body continued to try
and go into labor too early. My water broke a few days before Christmas and the
doctors spent the next several days attempting to stop my labor and
contractions but on New Year's Eve our little Jack was determined to make his
entrance. He was born the morning of New Year's Day and I remember seeing his
tiny leg as the nurse rushed him away from me. They told me he wouldn't cry
when he was born.
They said his little lungs might not be strong enough. But oh how he screamed.
That was when I knew he was going to fight. I didn't see him
till later that day and no on even told me if he was okay until 4 hours later.
Words cannot express the anticipation of that day. The first time I saw him,
all hooked up to tubes and wires, his little face covered up by a breathing
mask, I didn't know how to react. They tell you what to expect but nothing can
really prepare you for seeing your child like that. I didn't get to hold him
that day. My heart aches for every mother that cannot hold her child when they
are born. I cried all night for him and for the hard road ahead but by the
morning I knew I had to be strong and I marched into that NICU and sat with
him. I did it every day for 8 weeks until he finally came home.
Yesterday I went back to his
NICU. I couldn't stop thinking about the families that would spend their
holidays at the hospital like we had last year. I got together with some ladies
in our church and we sewed hearts of hope ornaments to give to the families
that won't be home with their little ones for Christmas. It was such a healing
moment for me too talking with his nurses and showing them pictures of Jack now
and letting them see how he has grown. One of the ladies told me about Preemie
Prints and said I should share my story and get Jack's pictures done to
commemorate his first year of life. His fight. So this is our story."
Jack’s photo session was taken and donated by Preemie Prints volunteer photographer, Monica Orzco.
A Note From Monica:
“I met with Christina Taylor
and her husband on Saturday Feb. 27. Took photos of her adorable son Jack for
his first bday. We did a cake
smash. He did not enjoy getting his
hands all sticky and dirty. But we got some
great shots. They brought along a little
piano that he loves to bang.”
Photos belong to our volunteer photographers, families,
and organization please do not use for any purpose.
____________________________________________
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 Sacramento, CA.
We're thankful to the family for sharing their story & memories in support of other NICU families.
No comments:
Post a Comment