Child's Birth Year
2017

State/Province/Territory
Alabama

NICU Hospital for my journey
Huntsville Hospital Women’s & Children's

My NICU Graduate's Journey
Born at 23 weeks & 6 days, Athena’s journey in the NICU was a roller coaster. In her first couple of weeks, she went through a collapsed lung, a grade 4 bilateral brain bleed, & a bowel perforation. After a month of no changes in head ultrasounds, her brain bleed was completely gone. A miracle. At almost 2 months old, she was diagnosed with NEC. She overcame that as well with lots of resting & medication. It was caught early. The next couple of months consisted of lots of feeding issues, and trying to get her on room air. Eventually we got there. The last few weeks of her stay, we were trying SO hard to get her to take full bottles & not rely on her NG tube. One day, something just clicked & just a few days after that, we were going home after 127 LONG days!

What makes you proud of you NICU graduate?
Literally everything. The strength she had as a tiny, fragile baby never ceases to amaze me. Even now, with her being 8 years old, she has overcome so much. She is so smart and SO kind to everyone she meets. I will never stop being proud of her.

Weight at Birth (lbs. or Grams)
1lb 5oz

Weeks Gestation
23 weeks

Time spent in the NICU (Specify Number of Days, Months, or Years)
127 days