Tristan's NICU Photo Session

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 TRISTAN'S FAMILY

"Tristan is our fourth child and the history goes back well before he was born. In 2007 we were pregnant with our first child and he was due in January of 2008. Due to complications from pre-eclampsia, Denise was forced to deliver via c-section at 29 weeks gestation. Jackson was 2 pounds, 1 ounce at birth and needed lots of support throughout his early life. Just before the two week mark, Jackson needed surgery to remove a section of his bowel that had stopped working due to a condition called NEC which left him with a colostomy bag. This was a major setback for him but we had faith that he would improve and they would be able to reconnect the bowel at some time in the future and he would someday have a normal life. However, two weeks later, on his 30th day of life, we were informed that additional parts of his bowel were suffering from NEC, too much for them to do anything to save him. He passed away early in the morning of his 31st day. We were lost following these events, but eventually found the strength to get pregnant again. With a new doctor keeping a very close eye on Denise, we welcomed a beautiful baby boy (Joshua) into our lives in July of 2009, nearly two years after Jackson. To say this was a perfect pregnancy would be an understatement. It feels a little like the universe was apologizing for what happened to Jackson. We always knew we wanted to have more kids so in 2011 we welcomed our first girl (Teagan) to the family. She was a little trickster from the beginning, including an emergency room visit early in the pregnancy where we thought we were losing her. She also came early, but only by a week, and was happy and healthy from the start. For several years, we watched as Joshua and Teagan grew, celebrating Jackson's birthday and angel day each year to help them remember the brother then never got to meet. They still enjoy picking out a fun cake design for us to make as a family each year for Jackson's birthday. In 2015 and 2016, Denise and I started thinking about having one more baby. We both grew up with two siblings in the house so it felt natural to have one more at home. We happily found out we were pregnant in October of 2016, with a due date in June of 2017. The family was happy for the announcement at Christmas time and everyone anxiously awaited the sex of the baby. We had found out before the births for our other three kids, so we wanted this one to be a surprise. In March of 2017, Denise's doctor started picking up the signs of pre-eclampsia again and put her on bed rest. Even with the additional rest, Denise was admitted to the hospital in early April and Tristan joined us on April 9th, 2017. He was 2 pounds, 5.5 ounces and was doing very well in his first several hours. Early on the morning of April 11th, 2017, doctors and nurses began suctioning blood from Tristan's lungs and quickly found that he had a pulmonary embolism which was bleeding into his lungs and not allowing oxygen to reach the rest of his body. From 2:30 AM until around 10:00 AM the medical team worked to stabilize him with ventilators, pain medication, and even a paralytic medicine to force his body to relax. As we sat and watched our little boy laying near lifeless in the isolette, our minds thought back to 10 years ago when things happened in a very similar way. But Tristan was different. He did eventually stabilize. Oxygen returned to his blood flow and he was able to make incremental progress throughout the next week and month. Things were day by day for a while but doctors were continuously impressed with the progress he made. Today, Tristan is just over a month old and continuing to improve. He is feeding from a bottle and off of all the ventilators, pain meds, etc. We still have a long way to go, but are confident that we will be bringing Tristan home soon."

Tristan's photo session was taken and donated by Preemie Prints volunteer photographer, Jennifer Sternal-Johnson.

https://www.facebook.com/blackbirdfamilyphotography

A Note From Jen:

"I loved meeting little Tristan, and his family's story touched my heart. He is so loved and treasured and it shows in the photos. I recently received word from Tristan's dad that he is now home with his family!"

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 form 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 500 NICU family sessions.

This was a Preemie Prints NICU photography session that took place near Rochester NY.

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

Chase and Tucker's NICU Session

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 CHASE AND TUCKER'S FAMILY

I had always planned on my twins being at Strong Hospital. I just didn't know it would be so soon: 27 weeks. I thought I would have had a perfect pregnancy and my twins would have been the perfect weight and height. I ended up going to Thompson hospital at 3am with what I thought was Braxton Hicks contractions.. Little did I know I was 4cm dilated and my baby boy Tucker was trying to get out. I ended up having an emergency c-section 20 minutes later when my doctor arrived. I thought the boys would be here before Strong's NICU arrived. I was so scared and so worried; it was every mothers worst fear and it happened in a blink of an eye. Then my doctor started to make the cut, accessed my uterus, and as that was happening Strong's NICU transportation team scrubbed in just in time. There were 8 people per child; my room was packed. Then they pulled little Tucker out and 2 minutes later Chase. Chase came out kicking and screaming. Then I waited what seemed like forever to hear Tucker. Finally, he screamed and I cried with joy knowing everything was going to be OK. As this happened my doctor sang Happy Birthday to each boy and everyone joined in. It was the most memorable experience of my life. When I was in recovery I was told they would bring in my twins, but I probably couldn't touch them. They brought the boys in with the incubators open. They told me I could touch them and it made me so happy. I got a minute with each of them, then they went off to Strong Memorial Hospital without me. Broke my heart and that was the longest 36 hours of my life. Thompson tried everything in their power to get me to Strong. Then they just released me early. I've been at Strong everyday since. I'm so glad they saved my boys and I'm so happy to be a new mommy. I still have a long way to go, but I'm thankful for this place and for my two little boys.

Chase and Tucker's photo session was taken and donated by Preemie Prints volunteer photographer, Jennifer Sternal-Johnson.

https://www.facebook.com/blackbirdfamilyphotography

A Note From Jen:

As a twin preemie mom myself, I treasure the first photos that we were able to take with all of us together, at about 1 month old. Tucker and Chase are 27 week preemies and I was lucky enough to share that moment with their family.

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 form 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 500 NICU family sessions.

This was a Preemie Prints NICU photography session that took place near Rochester NY.

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

Rory's NICU Grad Session

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 RORY'S FAMILY

Rory was born at 35 weeks and I was in labor for 42 hours after he kicked my water, breaking it, and him not ready to come out. When he was born he had Jaundice from being preemie and having a different blood type. Rory was in the hospital for a week, released, and readmitted for Jaundice less than 12 hours later (he clearly should never have been released in the first place). He was also at risk for having lung issues and was given something (sorry, it all blended together of what it was in the IV) to help his lungs as a precaution. His weight and temperature were issues during his first week but finally he started to gain. I know we weren't in the hospital long but it still felt like a lifetime and I have never cried so many tears in my life! I really wish I did know about this service at this time. I wasn't able to schedule any type of photos for while we were at the hospital or even take a second to think about it. Leading up to his birth we had many scares (that all ended up being false) but it was a very stressful time for us.

Rory's photo session was taken and donated by Preemie Prints volunteer photographer, Jennifer Sternal-Johnson.

https://www.facebook.com/blackbirdfamilyphotography

A Note From Jen:

Rory was born at 35 weeks and spent 10 days in the hospital, but now, at 5 months old, he's home with his family! We tried to take advantage of our beautiful weather and hit the beach, but it was so windy--had to go home. Still, this sweet boy has such a lovely nursery that it worked out just fine!

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 form can be found on 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 1000 NICU family sessions.

This was a Preemie Prints NICU graduate photography session that took place near Rochester NY.

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

Meet Maddox - A Preemie Prints 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. Preemie Prints support programs include NICU photography and NICU graduate photography (the gift of photography at no charge for a NICU family), the gift of handmade items, group events and meetings, information, and prayer support. Our mission is to connect parents and let them know they are not alone. 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 remember how strong 
they were in overcoming their NICU journey together.

A NICU STORY | THOUGHTS FROM MOM

"Our little guy is Maddox, born Jan 4th at 33 weeks 2 days. He weighed 3 pounds 13 ounces and was 16.5 inches long. I developed severe pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome. I went to my 32 week appt and had regular lab work done. We were only home about an hour before we received the phone call that changed our lives forever. My body was beginning to fail and I had to get to the hospital ASAP. I spent 4 days on bed rest before my blood pressure skyrocketed and I had to be induced. After over 24 hours in labor, Maddox was born via c-section. He was whisked off to the NICU where he would spend the first 26 days of his life. I was in recovery where I hemorrhaged about 2 hours later. I was sent to the OR (operating room) again. I almost didn't make it. I wasn't able to meet Maddox for over 24 hours due to my unstable state. I'm so lucky that we are both here today.

Never in a million years would I have thought we would be parents to a preemie. Before this whole ordeal, my life seemed uncomplicated. I had a great career, a house, and wonderful husband. I was a very detailed perfectionist. I had a sense of being in control of everything. This experience has definitely changed who I am. I enjoy the little things in life, don't take people/things for granted and now believe I am one heck of a strong person. I have also learned that no matter what life hands you, you are so much stronger than you think you are. 

Maddox was born perfect, just very tiny. His lungs were a bit underdeveloped even though I received the steroid shots while pregnant. He spent a few days on CPAP and aside from his apnea/brachyadia episodes, we had a fairly good NICU stay. It just took him a while to learn how to suck/swallow/breath while he ate. The hardest thing that no parent should ever have to go through is asking permission to hold your child and being told no. That was the first time I actually felt my heart break. To not be able to hold something that you were forced to have ripped from your body is very difficult. I spent countless hours crying, journaling and praying while I sat next to the tiniest human I have ever seen in real life. 

You're not the only one who has gone through this journey. There are so many support groups/people to help people get through this trying time in life. See out help if you need it. My favorite thing that helped me was writing in my journal. If I was able to get my feelings out ofmy head and onto paper, it helped me heal. It was my therapy and still it. My favorite quote that help me: 

"And once the storm is over, you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won't even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what this storm's all about" -Haruki Murakami

Preemie Prints Volunteer Photographer:

Shannon Amberg - Tomah, WI

A note from Shannon:

"Meeting the Fawcett Family and photographing Maddox was such a pleasure. Hearing Maddox’s story and about his mother’s experience giving birth to a preemie was humbling and very special. I have no doubt this family has some guardian angels watching over them. Maddox did fantastic too, spending some time wide awake and babbling, chowing down on a bottle, and then snuggling in for a sweet wee nap. I felt fortunate to be able to get photos of all of it! It was my sincere honor to come into this family’s home and capture some sweet moments for them. I can only hope they enjoy the images as much as I enjoyed the experience of serving them. xo"

These images 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 75 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 375 NICU family sessions. 

This was a Preemie Prints NICU graduate baby photo shoot that took place near Tomah Wisconsin. 

We're thankful to the family for sharing their memories with our NICU community. 

Baby Easton's Preemie Prints NICU Grad Photo Shoot

Please enjoy Preemie Prints' families inspirational photos and consider supporting our mission to share hope with families who have a baby born prematurely or critically ill. Preemie Prints support programs include NICU photography and NICU graduate photography (the gift of photography at no charge for a NICU family), the gift of handmade items, group events and meetings, information, and email support. Our mission is to connect parents and let them know they are not alone. 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 will help families remember how strong 
they were in overcoming their NICU journey together.

NICU STORY | THOUGHTS FROM MOM

"My sons name is Easton. He was born early on March 10, 2013 at 35 weeks weighng 5lbs 9ozs, and had a rough start in the beginning. My pregnancy was perfect, but when my son was born he was not breathing. Immediately he was rushed to a different hospital. We found out he had been drprived of blood and oxygen during my labor and had IVH grade 4 & 3 brain bleeds, seizures, and severe HEI. After multiple MRI's and EEG's we were told he would not survive off of life support due to the amount of damage done and if he did survive he would not be able to move, see (because he would be cortically blind), eat or breathe on his own. We took him off of all support at 5 days old expecting him to earn his wings. But God had a different plan for him. After a few minutes of not breathing, Easton took a breath and has been amazing us every since. He breathes perfect, eats like a piget, he can see just fine and movest perfectly. He is our miracle!

Our NICU experience was a very hard roller coaster of a ride. We had our ups, and a ton of downs, but we gained an entire new family when we were there. Our doctors and nurses were truly amazing and treated us like family. They prayed with us, cried with us, and laughed with us. The other families we met during our NICU experience have also become a big part of our lives. Becoming a NICU parent is something nobody ever wants to be, but we learned quickly a new world of being in a NICU, and that in the end it is an honor to be one, because you get to experience miracles every day. You learn to rejoice in every small thing, like baths and diaper changes."

 
Preemie Prints Volunteer Photographer:

Beth Pate - Oscala, FL

A note from Beth:

"I was really honored to do this shoot since it was dear to my heart. I met Baby Easton and his family when he was in the NICU across from one of our Quints. It was a pleasure to be able to do this session. I had a chance to see how much he has grown and overcome everything that they said he would never do."

Adorable Anna's Preemie Prints NICU Grad Photo Shoot

Please enjoy Preemie Prints' families inspirational photos and consider supporting our mission to share hope with families who have a baby born prematurely or critically ill. Preemie Prints support programs include NICU photography and NICU graduate photography (the gift of photography at no charge for a NICU family), the gift of handmade items, group events and meetings, information, and email support. Our mission is to connect parents and let them know they are not alone. 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 will help families remember how strong 
they were in overcoming their NICU journey together.

NICU STORY | THOUGHTS FROM MOM

"Anna was born 9/24/2013. She was 33 weeks and 4lbs 6ozs. During our standard 20 week ultrasound, there was a noticeable amount of fluid built up in Anna's abdomen in conjunction with a bowel obstruction. At that period in time, we were told she would have a 20% survival rate. If they could find the cause, our chances would increase exponentially. 

They never found a cause.

In week 32, all of the fluid disappeared, but caused my amniotic fluid to decrease and it was necesary to deliver. She was a loud, vocal and alert preemie! -And beautiful. She progressed quickly in the NICU, but we found we couldn't get her oxygen support below a significant amount of 3L.

Once she reached full term, they performed a lung biopsy and found she had a Childhood Interstitial Lung Disease called PIG. This rare lung disease is very unknown and there are only a small handful of cases. We did a round of steroids that had significant improvement and prognosis is good that as she grows bigger and stronger, her lungs will grow with her. We have lots of hope. 

After 86 days in the NICU we were dicharged home!! (YAY!) We are home now on a 1/2L of oxygen support and feeding tube. She thrives and grows every day. 

Preemie Prints Volunteer Photographer:

Daneane Robinette - Cincinnati, OH

A note from Daneane:

"I had a wonderful time meeting and photographing Anna. She was a perfect model showing off her beautiful smiles and bright blue eyes. I love the close up of her glancing back with a sweet smile on her face. She heard her mommy’s voice and was looking for her. I was happy to capture that expression of pure admiration a baby has for their mother.  I can tell she is a happy and loved little girl."