Prematurity Awareness Day

[wrblack]

Well, off topic but not for fun, yesterday, Nov. 16, was Prematurity Awareness Day this year. At least according to the March of Dimes ( www.marchofdimes.com/clicktosavebabies/index.asp )
I'm not too sure about the March of Dimes. Maybe they're finally starting to do some good again, have plans to provide some NICU family support. Still think it's possible they should have gone out of business years ago after the development of polio vaccines instead of searching for new reasons to justify their existence--and their fund raising and investments and endowments and staff.
Besides, every day is preemie awareness day around my house. Here's a link to one of Lynn's post to her birth club:
bbs.babycenter.com/board/bbshome/bbs-birthclubs/birthclubs2003/1222597/thread/1584108

Cheers,
Bob, lucky dad of 2 preemies

[Deannalee]

Thanks. I knew it was coming up. I am also the proud mom of two preemies....one here on earth and one in heaven. Justin and Jordan were 11 weeks premature and both born with DS. Justin was 1 lb 14 oz, 12 in long and Jordan was 2 lb 6 oz and 14 in long. Jordan only lived 13 days. It has been very difficuly, very challenging, very heartbreaking, but also rewarding.

Deanna

[wrblack]

You're welcome. Here I go engaging in poor netiquette again. But here's a snip from a mom posting on a different board. I kinda liked it. Maybe you will too.

<< .... I was 24 weeks and 2 days. I had her "normally" and she weighed in at 1 pound 4 ounces. She was 11 3/4 inches long. She cried when she came out.

We did not name her for 3 days. I guess we were in denial and giving her a name would mean that she was a real person and that we could lose a real baby. Something we could not handle. Her eyes were still fused and her body was transparent. It was over a month before we ever held her.

She was in the NICU for 4 and a half months and on Mother's Day we brought our daughter home. Though she came home on oxygen, after about 3 months we took her off of it and she is doing great. She is a perfectly happy, healthy 10 month old baby (adj 6 month old) and weighs in at 12.5 pounds.

She is a fighter, as all our babies are. The only comfort in this is that she will never remember the hell she went through.

People always say that I saved her life by lying in a hospital drugged up for so long, the truth is she saved me. She has given me a life I had only dreamed about.

I read the stories of those moms who lost their little ones and I can hardly stand it. I sat with a mom in the NICU who lost one of her twins. I say a silent prayer for each of those babies who were here for such a short time but who surely got the most beautiful pair of wings. It is those little wings that must have sat next to my daughter in her incubator all those days looking after her.

I know this doesn't make it any better but to all those mothers who gave my daughter an angel to protect her I thank you.

Through my tears as I write this I will now go and get one of those march of dimes bracelets and make a donation so that someday, someone can find a way to stop those little angels from getting their wings so fast. .... >>

Regards,
Bob

[shellk]

I do not have any premeies but just wanted to say that that was a very touching post .(The one Bob took from the other site)


Michele