The B Atrium at Children’s Hospital went purple for preemies as staff, families and well-wishers marked World Prematurity Day with a fun and educational event.
Arranged by the Paediatric Family Resource Centre and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) FAD (Family and Developmental Care) Committee, the World Prematurity Day event featured games like bean bag toss, informational displays including a Giraffe OmniBed and a PANDA Warmer, keepsakes like ornaments and buttons, and several speakers. Parents of premature infants were invited to add their child’s name, date of birth and other stats to a paper chain that will be added to a Christmas tree in the NICU.
Among those who spoke was NICU mom Megan, who went into labor at 23 weeks and five days gestation while out Christmas shopping in 2017.
As she lay terrified on the mall floor, waiting for paramedics and listening to other shoppers congratulate her, Megan knew it was far too early for her baby girl, Halle, to arrive.
“I couldn’t even get the words out to explain that my tiny baby wasn’t even close to finished growing and she may not even survive delivery,” Megan said.
Five long days later, after intense medical efforts to delay the birth, Halle was born at just 24 weeks gestation, weighing a fragile 1.8 pounds and measuring only 12.5 inches long. Her skin was almost translucent, too delicate to touch, as the neonatology team rushed her to the NICU.
Halle’s early months were a battle for survival. One of the most terrifying moments came on December 29, when she suddenly stopped breathing on her own. Megan remembers fearing it might be the last time she would see her daughter alive. Halle was placed on a more intense ventilator, and for the next 19 days, Megan was unable to hold her.
In all, Halle needed 103 days in the NICU before finally going home. Megan recalls how, during the stay over Christmas, staff helped bring the spirit of the season with decorations and toys.
In her speech, Megan noted that the equipment that kept Halle alive in the NICU was funded by donors. “The ventilator, all of her pumps for nutrition, any other life-saving medical technology is all funded by generous donations. You saved my child’s life, and I could never thank you enough,” she said.
Today, Halle is an energetic six-year-old, thriving and curious and joyful, who loves artwork and playing with her friends.
NICU Nurse Practitioner Laura Webster expressed her gratitude to donors as well, saying, “We take care of the tiny, sick and vulnerable newborns every day. We can only do so with your generous donations. So, thank you very much.”
This holiday season, you can support the NICU and help more families like Megan’s with a gift, and have it help even more than you know. Thanks to the Charabin Family Match of up to $50,000, a gift of $50 becomes $100, and a gift of $100 becomes $200. Think about how many lives would be changed as a result. Hope lives at Children’s because of you.
