Child's Birth Year
2020

State/Province/Territory
Illinois

NICU Hospital for my journey
Carle Foundation Hospital

My NICU Graduate's Journey
Stella was born at 26 weeks gestation. Her early delivery was completely unexpected! She spent over 2 months in the NICU to grow strong and healthy enough to come home. During her stay she went from relying on the CPAP machine to breathing on her own, and learning how to eat from a bottle so she could have her feeding tube removed. She also dealt with a brain bleed, a PDA in the heart, and retinopathy of prematurity among the various tests and procedures she had to go through daily as part of keeping her alive and healthy. She is the strongest little girl we know, and is now a healthy and spunky 4 year old who brings joy to everyone that she meets.

What makes you proud of you NICU graduate?
Stella never let being born early hold her back! She went through occupational, developmental, and speech therapy and was eventually discharged at 2.5 years old after exceeding in all areas! She continues to inspire us everyday with how wonderful, smart, and kind hearted she is! She is extremely headstrong and will continue to make us more proud each year that she grows. Seeing her go from a frail preemie who fit in the palms of your hands to the amazing child she is now is such a blessing.

Weight at Birth (lbs. or Grams)
2 lb 2 oz

Weeks Gestation
26 weeks

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