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NICU Dads – Thank You for Being Superheroes!

June 20, 2020 by

by Lindsay Nolan

I was scrolling through Instagram at 3 a.m. while my husband, Danny slept on the couch next to me. My internal clock was off a bit; the NICU does that to you. It was about two weeks into our stay at the hospital and I was deciding on which filters to use to enhance my influx of baby photos. I glanced over at Danny and smiled.

He was sprawled out on the unpadded hospital couch, which was half the length of his body. His legs dangled off the end of it and he was covered by a light blanket that did little to keep him warm. His pillow was on the floor – I am guessing that it did not provide a whole lot of support and he deemed it unnecessary sometime during his sleep. My hospital bed was too small for the both of us. Sometimes, when the unpadded hospital couch was a little too unpadded, the oversized chair in the corner was his resting place of choice.

My gaze was suddenly broken by the sound of my phone alarm, a beat we had gotten to know well. It had been three hours since our last diaper change and our baby, Henry’s last tube feeding. Danny slowly got out of bed and said, “I got this, try to get some rest,” as he maneuvered his body to fall out of its stiff positioning. I watched him as he walked down the softly lit hallway to the NICU and as he scrubbed in for several minutes. He called through the intercom for approval of entrance and disappeared into the room.

I saw Danny again three hours later after my alarm signaled for the next feeding. He was sitting on the rocking chair in our area of the NICU with Henry’s two-pound body laid out across his bare chest. They were doing skin-to-skin contact, also known as kangaroo care, which, we were later told; our nurses believed really allowed Henry to thrive and helped in meeting his milestones. Danny fought to keep his eyes open but kept his loving gaze on our baby boy.

I took over at that point as Danny kissed me goodbye, so that he could go check in to work for the day.

To the often times unsung superheroes of the NICU, thank you.

Thank you for stepping up for your child and doing what is best for them, even when it takes a toll on your own wellbeing at times.

Thank you for facing these trials with positivity and strength.

Thank you for being involved; for washing breast pump parts, for ordering room service, for talking with the amazing staff that takes care of your family and for being present.

Thank you for not only taking care of our baby, but for me as well.

Thank you for your love.

Lindsay Nolan is mom to Henry and Reece. She has published a book about preemies and her journey – Preemies: A Storybook for Mighty Preemies. Available on Amazon here.

Categories: Fathers of Preemies, Preemie Parent Voices, Supporting Preemie Parents
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A Note from Graham’s Board Member Dr. Mia W. Doron

May 20, 2020 by

Written by MIA W. DORON, M.D.

I believe whole-heartedly in the mission of Graham’s Foundation and am honored to be on the Executive Board.  

From my many years as a practicing neonatologist, and from sharing the pains and joys of my sister’s experience after delivering 27-week twins, I know that parents of preemies feel terrified, overwhelmed, isolated, and confused, and often don’t know where to turn for support. My professional life has been devoted to providing that support. So when I learned of Graham’s Foundation and its vision – dedicated to a world where no parent goes through the journey of prematurity alone – I said, “Yes! Sign me up for that!”  

Graham’s Foundation has all the pieces in place to achieve that vision:  beautiful care packages for parents filled with useful items and information; empathetic and knowledgeable peer mentors to provide on-going one-on-one support; a tremendous all-round resource in the MyPreemie app to guide families through the chaos of an early birth and hospitalization, through the excitement and anxieties of homecoming and the first few years of their preemie’s life; a large and engaged on-line community; and a staff always striving for excellence. 

In the next 10 years, Graham’s Foundation aims to have a presence in every hospital NICU, so all parents and medical providers are aware of its services, and no one with a premature baby has to travel that road alone.     

NOTES ON THE MyPREEMIE APP AND FEEDING TRACKER

The MyPreemie app came about after my co-authors and I finished writing the 2nd edition of PREEMIES: The Essential Guide for Parents of Premature Babies. Cell phones were still fairly new then, and were not allowed in many NICU’s for fear the signal would interfere with monitoring equipment. But we realized they were quickly becoming the tool young people turned to for information of all kinds, to connect with others, and to help organize their lives. 

We saw a lot of parenting apps for full-term babies, but none for preemies. These apps not only did not meet the needs of parents of premature babies, but their information could actually be wrong if applied to a preemie, and they could make parents feel bad because they weren’t able to participate in the ordinary events of babyhood and parenthood those apps were celebrating. 

So we created an app to guide parents through the experience of prematurity. MyPreemie puts relevant medical information at parents’ fingertips; identifies and prompts them to record significant events that are specific to premature babies; normalizes the turbulent emotions and unfamiliar steps from an early birth, through hospitalization, through the transition home and a preemie’s early years; provides a quick and easy way to keep friends and family informed; makes order out of chaos by giving sample questions to ask medical staff and provides tables and graphs to track a baby’s progress; brings color and warmth to the sterile environment of the NICU with beautifully hand-drawn app pages; and more. 

We are continually trying to improve MyPreemie. For example, we translated the app into Spanish, and are working on a Chinese version, to reach and help more parents. In a few days we will be introducing a Feeding Tracker, with entries aimed at logging the particular events, issues, and milestones in a premature baby’s feeding journey. These are quite different from the average full term baby’s, and are not easily or adequately tracked with the baby feeding apps that are currently available. We are grateful that MyPreemie has been downloaded by tens of thousands of people around the world, and sincerely hope it is making one of life’s most trying and traumatic times a little easier.        

-Dr. Doron is a neonatologist, co-author of the book, Preemies: the Essential Guide for Parents of Premature Babies, and co-creator of the MyPreemie app. –

Categories: News, Supporting Preemie Parents
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Social Distancing & the Village

April 21, 2020 by

by Kristina Mulligan

This world is in scary times as we deal with a global pandemic. COVID-19 is causing fear in many and panic in others. In some way, however, we all feel the anxiety – and possibly the soreness of dry hands. Social distancing and isolation has become the way of life for many, and those that are a bit more “adventurous” are still navigating cancelled events (on their part or society’s) and having to go to work in a world that’s partially shut down. It’s uncharted territory for so many but, as a preemie parent, a lot of these precautions are a part of a normal season. 

I have often been told that the voluntary quarantine that we endure each year since Flynn’s birth is “unnecessary.” I’ve heard unkind words about my “helicopter parenting” and “over-reacting,” that I’m “living in fear” and that “kids need exposure to germs to thrive.” When I wash my hands countless times a day, keep hand sanitizer all over the place, and sanitize my phone, I’ve been called “paranoid” and a “germaphobe.” I can take all that, though, it doesn’t hurt more than it would to have my son’s fragile health compromised. I stand by our decision to self-isolate every year, not because I’m terrified of another hospital stay (though that does play a role) or that I believe the world is only full of sickness and germs. I believe in it for the same reason that your family is doing it due to COVID-19: you want to protect your family. The feelings that you’re having in this moment – fear, uncertainty, confusion, panic – I am no stranger to them.

I say this not with the tone of “I TOLD YOU SO,” instead with one of, “I’ve been here. We’ll get through this.” I’m not insinuating the plight of one family is equal to a global crisis, but up until this point, we have a track record of being okay and standing together, even through all the fear. The same that you are feeling right now. In a time like this, social distancing is important not only for your sake, but for the health of those around you – your neighbors, your friends, the medical community. It’s not a time to panic, hoard, and think only about yourself. Remember that the community as a whole and sticking together (from afar) is equally important as your individual well-being. It takes a village to tackle big things like COVID-19. Be a part of the village, not a part of the problem.

Kristina Mulligan is mom to preemie Flynn and a Parent Preemie Mentor for Graham’s Foundation. She has a blog she posts regularly, “Once In A Mulligan”.
https://www.oneinamulligan.com

Categories: Life After NICU, Life in the NICU, Parenting Preemies, Preemie Parent Voices, Social Distancing with a Preemie, Supporting Preemie Parents
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A Letter to My Baby on His Birthday

April 17, 2020 by

by Nicole Lauer

My Dearest Kade,

It’s been two years since we said hello and since we had to say goodbye.
99 minutes with you was not enough time, but I thank God every day that I was given that time with you. We miss you every single day. You would be getting so big, walking around and getting into everything you set your eyes on. You would no longer be the tiny little baby I held close as I said goodbye.  It’s been two years since I looked at your perfect little face with your teeny button nose. Two years since I got to cuddle you close and admire your tiny movements (you had the longest legs! You were going to be tall like your daddy!). Two years since I got to see you wrap your little hand around the tip of my finger.  Two years since I had to let you go. I was there for your first breath and I held you close to my heart when you took your last.

Today, we remember you and we reflect on your life, no matter how small it was. I promise to visit you on your birthday and decorate your grave each year. I promise to make sure you aren’t forgotten. Your picture will hang proudly in our home forever. Your Christmas stocking will still be hung. We will always find ways to include you and we will never think twice about it. 

You are not forgotten sweet boy and you never will be. You are forever loved. You are forever missed.

Happy birthday.

I’ll love you forever,

Mommy

Nicole Lauer is a Loss Mentor for the Graham’s Foundation Preemie Parent Mentor Group.

If you need to talk and connect:
https://grahamsfoundation.org/preemie-parent-mentors/

Categories: Preemie Loss & Remembrance, Preemie Parent Voices
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Coping with a Pandemic as a NICU Parent

April 9, 2020 by

By Ali Dunn

I “attended” a virtual happy hour the other day. It was nice to see people’s faces and have conversations with friends even if they were mostly about isolation and COVID-19. We were all sharing stories from our days, tales of working from home, schooling from home, and trying to create some semblance of normalcy all within the four walls of our houses. As I listened, I began to get a strange sensation…this feeling of déjà vu. I have never experienced a global pandemic before, but all the emotions I am currently experiencing are very familiar. I have felt this type of fear and isolation before…when I had a baby in the NICU. All of the trauma that I thought I had dealt with years ago, is slowly seeping back into my life. 

If you are a current or former NICU parent, you may also be reliving some of these same fears, concerns, and experiences that were a part of your time in the NICU. And as a result, you may be struggling a little more than the average person. But I would like to remind you (and myself) that while it feels very heavy right now, NICU parents are uniquely qualified to cope with this type of situation because we all have prior experience. So remembering these things might help you to get through these days. 

This is hard, but you can do hard things.
Remember learning that your baby would need to be in the NICU? I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything harder than that. And it didn’t get any easier as I traveled back and forth from the hospital, pumped, washed and sanitized everything, and worried about my tiny baby.  Because I overcame this very hard experience before, I know I can do it again.

There is so much uncertainty, but you have felt that before.
Do you wake up not knowing what news the day will bring? Will something bad happen that will set back the progress you were hoping to make? It sounds like a typical day in the NICU! I can’t think of a situation with more uncertainty than the NICU roller coaster. Things are going well and it looks like it will all be over soon, and then a setback puts you back at square one. Because I dealt with this previous ambiguity, I know I can do it again.

You are staying at home, but you’ve experienced time in isolation.
In the first year of my babies’ lives, we stayed home all the time. They were released from the NICU in the middle of RSV season and it was just too risky to take them out in public. So we didn’t. After several months in the NICU, it was not the ideal situation as I was ready to resume life as usual. And I wanted my babies to experience real-life outside of a hospital and my house. But it wasn’t safe, so we just didn’t do it.  I actually have many tender memories of that time as we all hunkered down in our little cocoon. Because of this previous time in isolation, I know that I can do it again, and I’m hoping that in a few years I will look back at this time fondly as well.

Our current state of affairs feels eerily similar to the NICU experience to me. This brings up a lot of feelings  like fear, anxiety, and isolation. If you are also feeling these things, don’t forget to tap into your support network if you need additional help. But I also feel a sense of hope! I learned that from the NICU as well! I made it through once, and I can do it again…and you can too!

Ali Dunn is a micro preemie mom to twins, children’s book author and speaker whose topics include infertility, prematurity and finding your true calling.
You can check out her books, I Was a Preemie Just Like You, I Needed the NICU Just Like You, The Career Explorer and other great children’s titles at www.metwobooks.com

If you are having feelings of stress from having a preemie and being isolated inside because of Covid-19, please contact Graham’s Foundation for help. www.grahamsfoundation.org

Categories: COVID, RSV & Preemies, Preemie Parent Voices, Social Distancing with a Preemie, Supporting Preemie Parents
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Coronavirus and the NICU: A Doctor’s Perspective

April 7, 2020 by

by Dr. Stephen D DeMo, DO MEd

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during this difficult time. From a Neonatologist’s perspective, these last few weeks have felt surreal. On the one hand, we have taken some solace in the fact that it appears that infants and children are not severely affected by COVID-19. On the other hand, we have been watching as our colleagues in the emergency room and adult ICU’s prepare for a possible wave of very sick patients to hit the hospital. There s a palpable fog of anxiety in the hospital, as security guards check visitors and staff, and military like triage tents appear overnight outside our emergency department. Personal protective equipment is being rationed, and staff is being reduced in order to limit traffic in and out of the NICU.

One of the scariest things I participated in was counting how many neonatal ventilators we had in the hospital, and how many could be re-programmed to work on an adult patient. While NICU babies may not become critically ill from COVID-19, my colleagues and I remain worried about being able to maintain an excellent standard of care while the rest of the healthcare system is strained.

Perhaps the biggest stressor to our families has been the significant visitation restrictions put in place at our hospital. The NICU has always been a place that limited visitors, especially during flu and RSV season to protect our babies, but COVID-19 has caused many hospitals to reduce NICU visitation to only mom and dad, or support person, for the duration of the hospitalization. Combine that with families that are already navigating the challenge of having older siblings at home and out of school, or being worried about job security for themselves or their spouse, I’ve felt the anxiety in our moms and dads more acutely these last few days. How scary to feel alone in the hospital will a critically ill newborn. During my 2 weeks on service, I’ve tried to just recognize and validate those feelings out loud. I think for some parents it’s actually been good to talk through that.

There have been some positives in this new way of doing medicine- since we are shifting most of NICU follow up clinic visits to Telemedicine (using video like Facetime or through other apps), we are findings new ways to engage with families. Our G-tube clinic has been doing “virtual” G-tube checks, which both families and doctors have loved; will this become the new normal, to help families not have to pack up their preemie for a car ride for every follow up visit? The concept of social distancing has made tangible to the general public the usual protective steps we take to protect our preemies when they leave the hospital. Hunkering down like a preemie mom is now in vogue.

Parents of babies in the NICU, or those at home with a recently discharged NICU baby may feel particularly isolated at this time. That’s why it’s important to use our parent networks to support families, or to check in with moms who may be home alone with a baby during this time. I hope that programs like the Parent Mentor or transition to home packages at Graham’s Foundation will give families comfort as we navigate this new normal in society. NICU families are incredibly resilient, I know we will get through this together. 

Dr. Stephen D. DeMeo DO, MEd
Division of Neonatology-WakeMed Health & Hospitals
Regional Assistant Dean- Campbell SOM/WakeMed

Categories: COVID, RSV & Preemies, Life in the NICU, Social Distancing with a Preemie
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NICU Babies in the Era of COVID-19

March 30, 2020 by

by DeeAnna Serna, RCP, RRT-NPS, AE-C

Hello there, let me tell you a little about me before I get into all the details of this topic.

My name is D’Anna I am a respiratory therapist with about 20+ years of experience, I’ve been a NICU therapist since 2000.  I now work in the outpatient setting as an Asthma educator and Cystic Fibrosis specialist.

So … Fortunately I know about respiratory diseases, this virus is novel thus the N in 2019-nCoVand we are learning on the daily.  

What we do know.

The symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.* source https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath  

The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.

While that may go without saying… here is a link with information on prevention and cleaning CDC-Covid-19 prevention

I state this information for background.  

Now what does this mean for our babies in the NICU?  

The short answer is that there is not enough information out there, because we have (fortunately) have not gotten report of an exposure of Covid-19 in a NICU.

As this is an emerging virus most of the information is based on effects on pregnancy and newborns (term gestation).  

There is a small amount of data regarding delivery of infants to Covid-19+ mothers and the outcomes following delivery.  Covid-19 pregnant women-and-impact-newborns

 What we as a team can do (family & medical) is prevention.

Strict visitation policies, effective hand washing and cleaning of equipment.

Staying home if you feel ill and clean handling of breast milk if one does have symptoms.

While this may seem like repetition … it is because we all need daily reminders.  

I am grateful that I have heard no reports of this organism in a NICU and we must all work together to keep it this way. When more information becomes available I will be happy to update.

So I close saying … stay strong and vigilant. These little ones are being born into a very different world.  You as always make the difference and we as your NICU team are here to help and support you in any way we can.

Be well and take care of each other …

_____________________________________________________________________________
DeeAnna Serna is a Respiratory Therapist in Southern California. She has worked in the NICU and is currently the Lead Respiratory Therapist for the Pediatric Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine Clinic as well as the Adult & Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Clinics.

Categories: COVID, RSV & Preemies, Life in the NICU, Social Distancing with a Preemie
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I Was a NICU “Mombie”

January 16, 2020 by

by Ali Dunn

When my twins were born at 28 weeks, I was unprepared to deal with life in the NICU. I had never seen a premature baby. I had never toured a NICU.  I didn’t know how much trauma a NICU experience could create. As I was wheeled down the hall to the NICU to see my tiny babies for the first time, after 8 days of hospital bed rest and an emergency c-section, it was all so surreal. I felt completely hollowed out. I was empty from all the years of infertility, from the guilt that this early delivery was perhaps my fault, from the realization that my babies might not survive.  I had been unsuccessful at getting pregnant and staying pregnant, I couldn’t deal with another failure. 

To fill this void inside me, I needed some control over what was happening. I decided that I was going to be the best preemie parent that I could. If the nurses wanted me to pump every 3 hours, then I would pump every 2.5 hours. If it was advised to visit your baby in the NICU frequently, then I was going to be there every day. From the outside, I was the ideal preemie mom. I came to the NICU every day and stayed for many hours. I pumped, changed diapers, and kangarooed both of my babies. But the only way to project this ideal was to detach emotionally and become a NICU “mombie.” To cope with the anxiety, fear, and grief, I didn’t allow myself to connect. I went through all of the motions, but none of the emotions. In fact, during our 65 day NICU stay, I can recall crying just one time.  Since my twins were in a traditional open-bay NICU I spent many hours a day in close proximity to the nurses. And yet, no one ever asked how I was feeling, or what I was doing to process this experience. There were no support groups and no past NICU parent visits. Since I appeared to be functioning, even thriving in my new role, and fulfilling my duties as a NICU mom, I wasn’t on anyone’s radar.

After discharge, I had two babies under 5 lbs to care for. I had never even roomed-in with them, so needless to say, I didn’t have a lot of time to process my feelings or heal from the trauma of the NICU. It wasn’t until several years later when I began the creative process of writing my first book that I was able to turn the fear and trauma into something beautiful and positive. 

Looking back now, with the wisdom that you can only gain through hindsight, I really wished someone would have told me that it is ok, to not be ok. In fact, holding all of the trauma and emotions inside is not what is best for anyone. As silly as it sounds, I really needed someone to give me permission to be a mess.  While your baby needs time in the NICU to learn, and grow, you need time to start to process the trauma you have been through and to begin to heal. It won’t happen overnight, but I believe that it can happen. I’m not sure who needs to hear this, but from one NICU parent to another… it is ok to not be ok. 

Bio:

Ali Dunn is the founder of Me Two Books and the author of four children’s books: I Was a Preemie Just Like You, I Needed the NICU Just Like You,  One of Two, a Twin Story about Individuality, and The Career Explorer: An Introduction to Career Development and STEAM Careers. She is also the creator of an ecourse for parents about Career Exploration. Ali is the chief mom officer of identical twins born at 28 weeks via emergency c-section. You can connect with her on her blog, Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.


Categories: Life in the NICU, Parenting Preemies, Preemie Parent Voices, Supporting Preemie Parents
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Trauma Scarred, Thankful & Blessed

December 23, 2019 by

by Sandra Hunt

Mason’s 1st Picture

I had a friend that didn’t want to see pictures of my baby in the NICU, hooked up to wires and tubes. It was too “graphic”, she said. My baby spent 45 days in the NICU. If you don’t want to see these pictures or hear this story, you’re not interested in knowing us at all. Because it has shaped us and changed us…They brought me these pictures after my son Mason was born, it would be two days later before I went to see him. They take these pictures for moms whose babies are sent to other hospitals, for moms too sick to visit the NICU, (in my case with preeclampsia on magnesium sulfate), and most importantly, they take these pictures in case your baby dies. I was denied a chance to mother the baby that I had carried for 28 weeks and the pictures didn’t fulfill that need.

That’s why you get up and force yourself to walk after that emergency c-section, those pictures are motivators, you keep them close by-especially after you’re discharged, to look at until you can come back to the hospital to do skin-to-skin, to look at when you’re at home pumping and have no baby to get your milk to letdown, to look at as soon as you wake up as you call the hospital for the doctor to tell you how many times your baby stopped breathing through the night, and as you get dressed to go back everyday for 45 days-or longer. There is no way you can go through the NICU and be unchanged.

You’re either trauma scarred, thankful and blessed, or both. I’m both. I’ve changed. I’m a little over-protective. I’m a little germ phobic. I’m a little over permissive…sorry…not sorry. This little guy in this picture took seven years to conceive, survived a miscarriage of his would have been triplet siblings, and then survived the a’s and b’s after being born far too early at 2lbs and 11 oz. He survived with just a touch of retinopathy of prematurity, asthma and sensory issues. The first meeting, first breastfeeding, first bath. These snapshots remind you of the family and friends, kind nurses, doctors, social workers, lactation specialists that were by your side. They remind you of what you’re thankful for. Specifically, I want to thank the maternity and NICU staff at Northside Hospital and to Graham’s Foundation for helping us through one of the toughest times in our lives. These pictures tell our story. This smiling happy child of mine almost wasn’t. Thank God for allowing these snapshots in time. 

Categories: Life After NICU, Preemie Parent Voices
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Life with Grace

December 19, 2019 by

by Jennifer Schwertfeger

15 years ago, my life changed after giving birth to my daughter Grace, at only 24 weeks. I had a high-risk pregnancy, that lead to an early preterm birth, I never imagined that grace would be born 16 weeks prematurely, I wasn’t prepared for any of the challenges that would lie ahead. After 9 months in the hospital, we finally brought Grace home. We would first learn how to care for all of Grace’s needs. Grace would need a tracheostomy, feeding tube and a lot of other equipment, to come home safely. Grace was a fighter and survived through some of the most diffcult times of my life. When I look back at those trying moments, I often wonder, how did I ever make it through!

Having a preemie changes your life. After bringing Grace home, I felt like I became a nurse overnight. Grace has so many medical complications, one after another, that I had to make some tough choices through the years. Those choices really impacted me, that I felt physically and emotionally drained. Life is full of challenges. Just that some of those challenges can be difficult to cope with. For years, Grace had health issues that lead to many hospital and clinic visits. Along with having one respiratory cold after another, it would take her weeks, and even months to recover. She also had developmental delays. Another whole new world for me. Having a child with special needs can change the dynamics of your entire family. Some many wonder how did you make it through? Or what did you do to cope? Everything that I had worked hard for up to this point; my dreams, education and my career rather, would now be pull off to the side. I didn’t know what the future held. I turned to writing, and it became very therapeutic for me. Writing down my thoughts helped me realize that there was a reason why we went through what we did! I was praying for a miracle, and writing to help deal with all the decisions that had to be made. I knew at some point in my life, I would want to share this information, and this was my way of letting others know that they are not alone.

After a long road of writing rough drafts, and the devastating news that my mom was dying, I finally took my journals to a new level, and began writing my story. I made a promise to my mom that one day, I would get “Life with Grace” published. After watching my mom fight for her own life, I knew that my book would be the center of helping others cope through their own trials of life. The writing was my way of moving forward, and it was something that I enjoyed doing since I was young. Why not do something with the information and experience I went through. I believe when something happens to you, that is so life-changing, it is important to find an outlet that makes you happy. You need to challenge yourself. I felt exhausted through the years, that I described it as a “preemie vet” going to war, fighting for your child’s life over, and over again. You become a “warrior”.

My hope is that many will be inspired by my book and motivate them to not give up on their own dreams. I want to challenge many to keep on moving forward. Just because my life changed many years ago, that didn’t stop me from doing something that I love. In fact, I feel what I did endure through the years, mas motivated me to share my story today and write a book about it.

Years ago, if someone had asked me if I would consider writing a book about my story, I would have thought they were crazy! I didn’t have time to even keep the food warm on our table. I was always needed in so many different directions. Don’t let these roadblocks stop you from being happy. You too can do something that you have a passion for! People need to feel inspired by others, in order to feel challenged in their own lives. I hope my book provides just that. Now is the perfect time in my life, to start giving back to money of the organizations that helped me years ago. I feel honored by all the opportunities that have cone along through my book. I have a passion for helping people, and this is my way of giving back. I am so thankful. I always believe that things happen for a reason, and I know now that my book will impact many. I am incredibly grateful for that.

“Life with Grace” is about surviving a miracle.  You can follow Jennifer and her daughter Grace on their Facebook page and watch as her story unwinds at: www.facebook.com/lifewithgracebook. 
If you would like to order a copy of Jennifer’s book, please visit her website at https://www.amazon.com/Life-Grace-Jennifer-Schwertfeger

Categories: Life After NICU, Preemie Parent Voices
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