Nova

Child's Birth Year
2024

State/Province/Territory
North Carolina

NICU Hospital for my journey
UNC Chapel Hill

My NICU Graduate's Journey
Nova is a 23 weeker whose NICU stay was 198 days. She was named Nova Bella Rhys and her personality and spirit align with her name perfectly. Nova means "new star," Bella means "beautiful," and Rhys means "fiery nature." Nova had a reputation throughout the NICU for being "feisty." Her nurses always said "We like them feisty, that means they're fighters," and no truer words have ever been spoken. At 23 weeks gestation, the odds were stacked against Nova, but faith and science (and a little fiery spirit) brought her through an unimaginably difficult start to life. I've lost track of the number of tests, medications, needles, lines, etc. that she had to endure. She was intubated for nearly two months after birth and remained on respiratory support until a month after arriving at home. She also came home with a G-tube because prolonged intubation didn't allow her to learn to feed by mouth. That she is now breathing and eating independently is nothing short of miraculous. Today, she is 27 months actual, 23 months corrected and is still as feisty as the day she was born. She has met most milestones but is still working on walking independently. She is practicing using her posterior walker and chants "Walking! Walking! Walking!" with each steps she takes. She's so much fun and so silly and has never met a stranger. To lay eyes on her is to love her, truly...and I'm not just saying that because I'm her mom :).

What makes you proud of your NICU graduate?
Everything! She inspires me and everyone around her everyday. I think I'm most proud of how excited she is to just be alive. She seems to truly value every experience she has and every person she meets. She doesn't take any of it for granted. I'm also proud of her eagerness to try. She doesn't back down from a challenge...even when I'd like her to. Like other NICU grads, her resilience is unparalleled. And she does everything with a smile. Her first big smile happened on day 191 in the NICU, 7 days before discharge. They'd just weaned her off of all of her meds. She still had her nasal cannula and feeding tube. I held her and she just stared at me, looking puzzled at first like she was seeing me for the first time. And then she just smiled this huge smile that was all tongue and gums. It was magical.

Weight at Birth (lbs. or Grams)
1 lb 3 oz

Weeks Gestation
23

Time spent in the NICU (Specify Number of Days, Months, or Years)
198