Child's Birth Year
2024

State/Province/Territory
Ohio

NICU Hospital for my journey
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

My NICU Graduate's Journey
I was admitted to the hospital at 5 months pregnant until I delivered. I delivered her at 33 weeks and 1 day. Miss Oaklynn has a rare genetic disorder called PIK3CA we under went surgery while I was pregnant a shunt was placed to drain her chest. After she was born things started unwinding she had to have a chest tube placed while the umbilical cord was still connected to her & me she has silent seizures, overgrowth syndrome causing left side to be larger, brain anomalies, had to have a shunt placed in her brain to drain fluid which she will have for the rest of her life. She has vascular malformation issues as well & is on a rare medicine called sirolimus which she’ll have to be on for the rest of her life. She underwent a bunch of respiratory issues due to a couple different airway problems, she is hypoglycemic & had to have a g tube placed to have continuous feeds ran to control the hypoglycemia. She finally came home after 4 LONG months in the NICU she came home on oxygen, with her g tube & her shunt! Still unclear what all the brain abnormalities will affect physically until she gets older & if she meets milestones such as walking & talking.

What makes you proud of you NICU graduate?
She has undergone more than any adult could have ever been able to handle!!! She is my warrior & showed me no matter what life throws at you, you just got to push through it!!!!

Weight at Birth (lbs. or Grams)
7.10 lbs

Weeks Gestation
33 weeks

Time spent in the NICU (Specify Number of Days, Months, or Years)
123 days or 4.5 months!