Meet Amy, Preemie Parent Mentor
My preemie(s) was born at: 27 weeks
Days spent in the NICU: 10 months
Our NICU Journey included: Pre-eclampsia, Tracheotomy, NICU hospital transfers, NEC, bowel surgery, stomas, liver failure, omegaven treatment, loss, grief
My daughter Molly was born in a very small NICU in east Texas on September 27, 2013. She lived her entire life in three different NICUs and one PICU due to complications from her early birth, and after fighting hard for ten months she passed away. I remember the strength and resilience of my daughter. I remember her bravery and beauty. I remember how much stronger she made me, and the joy and happiness that she brought to me and my husband.
Since her passing, I have wanted to be a part of something so that I could give my support, time… anything to help other families going through what we did. I did not have a mentor when my daughter was in the NICU. It was actually something that I sought out and could not find. That’s a big part of why I became a Graham’s Foundation parent mentor – I want other parents to know that they are not alone. There are other people out there who really do know what you are going through, even when your journey includes grief and loss.
Parent Support for Loss of a Premature Infant
Having to say goodbye to a preemie far too soon is a tragedy that no parent should ever have to face, but sadly loss is a part of the prematurity journey, too. Nothing can ever ease the pain of losing a child but even so, many organizations, websites, and groups exist to help moms and dads cope.