Child's Birth Year
2011

State/Province/Territory
Texas

NICU Hospital for my journey
Cook Children's Medical Center

My NICU Graduate's Journey
We prayed for 9 years for this child. Our second son. He fought my entire pregnancy. I went into preterm labor once and still he fought. He still ended up being 6 weeks early. He needed help breathing so they took him from our local hospital to Cook Children' NICU. He spent a week there and he rallied quickly and surprised us all. We went home and he did so well. He is a beautiful child inside and out, but his life has never been an easy one. Very quickly it became apparent that our Lucas was different. And the doctor told us what my mom heart already knew. He is autistic. Smart as a whip and can tell you almost any fact about anything that he’s read or seen that interests him. But he can’t function well in this fast paced world. I do all I can to change this world for him. He’s one of a kind and I wouldn’t change him for anything.

What makes you proud of you NICU graduate?
He has been a fighter from day one. He struggles to live in this world but he never gives up. He keeps going. Autism doesn’t stop Him. He may need my hand to hold but he knows together we will get whatever needs doing done.

Weight at Birth (lbs. or Grams)
9lbs 9.2 oz

Weeks Gestation
34 Weeks

Time spent in the NICU (Specify Day, Month, or Year)
1 week