Elsie

Child's Birth Year
2021

State/Province/Territory
Texas

NICU Hospital for my journey
Ascension Seton Medical Center

My NICU Graduate's Journey
Elsie was born early due to complications from preeclampsia at 34+6. She was immediately taken to the NICU and put on cpap. I couldn’t see her for 24 hours since I wasn’t able to get out of bed. It was the longest 24 hours of my life. She had three holes in her heart and was a very sleepy girl because how hard her body was working. She was only 4 lbs, but we knew she was strong and a fighter from the beginning! We were in the NICU for 6 weeks, weaning oxygen and the feeding tube. She also had 4 hemangiomas, one under the skin, that needed treatment as well.

What makes you proud of your NICU graduate?
Elsie is the most joyful, kind, and friendly child. She loves to sing and dance and doesn’t know a stranger. She had heart surgery at one year old and left the hospital with a smile on her face. She loves going to the doctor because she knows they are helpers. It doesn’t hurt that her mom is a child life specialist either :)

Weight at Birth (lbs. or Grams)
4 lbs

Weeks Gestation
34 Weeks

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