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
“Jeremiah
was born at 29 weeks weighing in at 1lb 14oz. Severe preeclampsia threatened to
take both mommy and baby, and there were lots of fearful moments both the
night/morning he was born and in the following days. The magnitude of what was
happening seemed almost impossible to grasp- we were living normal days, then
suddenly giving birth to our son and, as we later learned, coming hours away
from likely death. We didn't even own any diapers yet. The doctors and nurses
moved quickly, and suddenly he was here- red, impossibly frail, and very much
ours. The wash of simultaneous joy and fear cannot be described without having
felt it yourself. We diligently went to touch times to peek in at our little
boy fighting for his life. Both mother and son displayed tremendous courage to
not only survive, but to stay positive. After a week Rose and I went home and
we experienced the next phase of the journey- being apart from your baby every
day. We made every effort to drive to the hospital every chance we could to see
our son, oftentimes sacrificing sleep or social lives to do so. Nothing
mattered nearly as much as sitting beside his incubator (and later his crib)
just being next to him. It put a strain on work, on our relationship, and on us
physically, but when you're a parent of a preemie, you have to take what you
can get. As the weeks went by, we watched him face new challenges- sustaining
oxygen levels, keeping feeds down, eating from a bottle, tolerating bath time,
gaining weight, and eventually breathing on his own. We finally came to the
week we thought he was coming home, but we received news that he was in need of
surgery for an unknown, and potentially life-threatening condition. It weighed
all the more as we watched the family across the room take their baby home
happy and healthy. But as he has done countless times already, our little man
proved his strength and endured the surgery. He recovered well, and while he
had to come home with an oxygen tank and breathing tube, we were just happy to
take him home. No one can prepare you for having a preemie. We found strength
in our faith in God and in the community of families who had endured similar
hardships. The nurses and doctors at the NICU were quite literally lifesavers,
and we are so grateful to everyone who was involved in our son coming home. We
pray for you all every day- the nurses, doctors, babies, and families.
To the
families who have babies in the NICU we say: while many of your friends and
family can't fully understand what it's like, know that you're never alone in
this. Never lose hope, keep going with all that you've got, and give thanks for
every moment you have.”
Jeremiah’s photo session was taken and donated by Preemie Prints volunteer photographer, Jennifer Franciose.
They were a really sweet family to work with. I enjoyed their session. Their little guy was happy and I could tell he is so loved.
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 Phoenix, AZ.
We're thankful to the family for sharing their story & memories in support of other NICU families.
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