"My new baby weighed just 3 pounds, 8 ounces. As I entered the NICU to see him, the whole world seemed to stop. I looked around at the other new moms, some crying, some locked in their own nightmare, staring like zombies at their tiny babies, locked away from them in their isolettes, struggling to stay alive. There was no sense of joy, celebration, or smiles on these mother's faces, only worry, fear and tears of sorrow.
And you knew deep in your heart, some of the babies would not make it. Connor, my precious little fighter, had been delivered seven weeks early, but there were others who had come even sooner and were so small their frightened parents were not even permitted to hold them. What contact they did have was brief and full of trepidation, not knowing if it would be for the last time ... that was the real nightmare.
My son had a common preemie condition called Bradycardia, also known as Infant Apnea, where he would stop breathing for no apparent reason and I would have to quickly stimulate his little body to get him to take a breath. I would cry for hours because I was so frightened for him; he was so tiny and helpless and I would pray for God to watch over my baby so he would make it through the night and I could be with him again; the fear and heartache was unbearable.
I was, however, able take comfort in the realization that without the advances in modern medicine, the stories for most of us there would have ended in tragedy. I was truly thankful for all those that had come before us and had given back to help raise the funds necessary for the research, the state of the art facility, and the amazing doctors and nurses who now saved so many new lives, as well as the lives of the families affected by premature births."
I had to stop the interview at that. I had the sudden urge to go hug my children and drop to my knees to thank God for sparing me the pain so many other mothers and fathers had felt, watching helplessly as their tiny babies fought to live, the uncertainty of whether tomorrow might perhaps be even worse than what they were now dealing with today ... or if there would even be a tomorrow for their child at all.
I was recently contacted by Nikki and Ryan Hawkins to see if I would possibly help them spread the word about a walk they were doing with the March of Dimes (known also as the March for Babies) to help raise money for continuing research and support for this growing problem that effects 1 in every 8 births.
After hearing their story I said I would do what I could to help, but it wasn't until the full effect of the unimaginable horror these families go through had actually sunk in that I decided I would try and do more than "just help".
I wanted to write an article about this so others could sponsor Nikki and her husband on their "March for Babies" campaign, but I also wanted to make the point of how wonderful and amazing it is that so many people will commit themselves to a cause that has helped them and their families so others can in turn benefit from it in the future as well.
Nikki could have just taken the help and support she received from the March of Dimes, been thankful it was there, and then moved on with her life after she knew her child was out of the woods and on the path to recovery. But she hasn't, and I think we should all be thankful for those people who go on to try and raise awareness for so many important causes, allowing you, me and our children to live healthier, happier and fuller lives.
These saints do not seek fame, fortune or accolades for these efforts. They do it because it is the right thing to do, and in a time of such economical upheaval, crime, war and myriad other terrible events, the Nikki and Ryans of the world warm my heart to such a degree that it inspires me to do my part to help how ever I can and hold on to the fact that there are so many good things going on in this world, despite what those in the media may have us believe.
Connor recently celebrated his first birthday, and although it has been a hard fought battle, he is on his way to living a normal and happy life. I would hope that you will take the time to visit Nikki and Ryan's March of Babies website to offer your words of encouragement and possible sponsorship of their upcoming walk.
They have committed themselves to this cause and are doing everything in their power to raise funds for the organization that has given them the opportunity to share a hug and a kiss every night with their son and to realize the dreams every parent has for their unborn child.
There are so many stories like this of hope and triumph over adversity, but many more that still need to be told. Tonight I will tuck my children in a little tighter, kiss their foreheads and thank God they are here with me today … and then say a prayer for the mothers and fathers who would give anything in the world for the same opportunity.
