#30DaysofHope Day 4- Kathleen

There is always hope.

It will be almost three years since my preemie was born on Christmas Eve 2017. David was born at 30 weeks and 3 days gestation. He weighed 3.3 lbs and 15.5 in. long, and cried as soon as he was born. I was able to kiss the top of David´s head before he was rushed to be cared for by the Fairview Hospital NICU team.

A week after David was born, our preemie received a diagnosis we were not expecting. When my husband and I found out, we were devastated. I went into a panic of ¨what if this¨ and ¨what if that¨. I had thought our NICU journey with David would just be ¨growing and feeding¨, as you often hear in the NICU. I´ll never forget how David´s neonatologist, Dr. Aziz reminded us that this diagnosis is just a diagnosis. He went on to encourage us to focus on loving and cherishing our baby, and spending as much time as we could holding him ´skin to skin´. Dr. Aziz mentioned that he may need some therapies in the future, but many children need therapy no matter if they have been born premature or not. He ended our conversation by telling us that focusing on hope and loving our baby was the most important.

We are excited to celebrate David´s 3rd birthday in eight weeks.

David has needed and continues to receive numerous therapies to help him gain strength and independence.

My husband, boys and I are surrounded by our wonderful friends and family, and an amazing care team of therapists, doctors and specialists. We have experienced challenges and difficult diagnoses, but also joy and daily blessings from our talkative little preemie miracle.

Just last week David asked me, ¨Mumma what does ´sunny day´ mean?¨ I asked him what he thinks it means, and he responds, ¨It means bright, Mumma.¨

David and his older brother, Daniel are the source of so much light and love in our family. Instead of drowning in the ¨what if´s¨, just focus on hope and look forward to a future full of love and happy memories.

-Kathleen S. (mother of a 2018 Preemie Grad)