Little Zoey: From 1 pound to Now! NICU Grad 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

"My daughter Zoey made her dramatic entrance into the world on November 22! She was born at 24 weeks weighing 1 lb, 9 oz 12.5 in.

My NICU journey is one that I will never forget! As I sit here now I am looking back on a time period that I thought would never end. On November 22 I gave birth to my little girl at 24 weeks weighing 1 lb 9 oz 12.5 in. Being the parent of a preemie leaves you with a lot of mixed emotions. As I sat there looking at this tiny little baby I felt grief, guilty, fear, confusion, uncertainty as well as a number of other emotions. The NICU is always described as a roller coaster ride and that is still putting it lightly. For 147 days I was on that roller coaster ride with my daughter. For the first two weeks she was in the NICU I couldn’t even walk into her room without hysterically crying, but after having a heart to heart with a friend that is a preemie parent I realized that I had to pull it together and be strong for my daughter. In the beginning there were many days filled with sickness, medical terminology that I didn’t understand, and major decisions to be made that had an impact on her life. She has fought through several blood transfusions, PDA, ROP, a few bacterial infections, chest tube, multiple medications, and intubation for two months just to be here with us today. As the days go on you become stronger along with your child; they grow and you grow as well.

My best advice to other preemie parents that are still in the NICU is to just take it day by day! Take each issue as it comes; don’t do too much research (unless looking into something specific) because each baby’s journey is different. Remember that sometimes you take one step forward and then turn around and take two steps back. Lean on other NICU parents if you can; they are a great support system and will definitely understand your struggles. Last, but not least have faith!"

A Note From Anne:

My recent session with Zoey was incredible - to see what could have been a heartbreaking and devastating loss of a tiny child instead be a glowing and smiling little girl was wonderful! After spending months in the NICU, Zoey is thriving with her parents at home. When they came into the studio, we wanted to try to get some shots of Zoey smiling, but had a hard time since she wants to stick everything in her mouth. Finally, we figured out what it would take - her mom sang the same songs that had bonded and comforted both of them in the NICU. Seeing how such a bond had developed was the best part of working with this amazing family. 

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 Cherry Hill, NJ.

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