Monday, January 16, 2017

Sweet Jeremiah'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
“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.

A Note From Jennifer:
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.

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 Phoenix, AZ.


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

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