Child's Birth Year
2021

State/Province/Territory
Missouri

NICU Hospital for my journey
Mercy Hospital St. Louis

My NICU Graduate's Journey
Alayna was born at 24 weeks weighing 1 lb 12 oz and 13 inches long. She stayed 108 days in the NICU. She battled through pneumonia, sepsis, multiple blood transfusions, staph infection, multiple long and scary bradycardia episodes, and was on a ventilator for nearly 2 months straight, with a few trial and errors. Two days before Christmas they took her off the vent and placed her on bipap, and on Christmas Day she had to be re-intubated. I (her mom) was very fortunate to be able to stay with her all 108 days and hold her every day, all day long. All of the NICU nurses and doctors told me that all of the skin to skin is what truly helped her do so well. Alayna was able to come home a day after her due date, without any surgeries or any long term complications. Alayna is truly a miracle.

What makes you proud of you NICU graduate?
I am proud of how strong of a fighter my NICU graduate was. She had several rough patches but always managed to pull through. Today she is a smart, independent and sassy little 2 year old that loves the outdoors and her little sister.

Weight at Birth (lbs. or Grams)
1 lb 12 oz

Weeks Gestation
24 Weeks

Time spent in the NICU (Specify Day, Month, or Year)
108 Days