Child's Birth Year
2011

State/Province/Territory
Pennsylvania

NICU Hospital for my journey
St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia

My NICU Graduate's Journey
He was born 5 weeks early with Gastroschisis. He had severe complications after his first surgery and the staff honestly did not think he would make it. 4-8 weeks turned into 7 months and several repair surgeries. He was quite the nosy little fellow and would distract the staff into playing with him, so they moved him so he could also sleep but he figured out how to raise his heart rate on purpose to make the machine ding on purpose so a nurse can rush over. They would tell me when they would come over he would be laughing at them. Every picture I have of him he is smiling. The staff not only took care of my son but took care of me because I had no one. And now he is 13, this momma ain’t ready.

What makes you proud of you NICU graduate?
He proved them wrong that he was going to survive. He has a kind heart, soul, loving and dreams big.

Weight at Birth (lbs. or Grams)
6lbs

Weeks Gestation
35wks

Time spent in the NICU (Specify Day, Month, or Year)
221 days