My family attended a NICU reunion at the hospital last week. Although our latest NICU graduate is two years old, walking into the hospital brought back a lot of memories and emotions. I remembered the smell of the hospital’s parking garage, the maze through the halls and elevators to get to the NICU, and the […]
Two years ago on July 3, I brought my youngest preemie home from the NICU. I went into the hospital when my water broke on April 28, stayed on bedrest in the hospital until he was born at 32 weeks, was discharged on May 26, and finally brought my baby home the day before Independence […]
There is a fair amount of bad news that originates in the NICU. You may have found yourself on one end of the telephone either giving or receiving the news of a life-changing diagnosis or death. When you are on the receiving end, do you say something cliche? Or risk saying something stupid? Or say […]
There was a poster that hung in my kindergarten classroom that announced that everything we needed to know, we would learn in kindergarten. I learned to skip, tie my shoes, and count colorful bears, but I learned far more outside of the classroom. The most important principles that I needed in life, I learned from […]
When I think about past events, there are a few that stand out as landmarks and all others are placed around them. The births of my children are big landmarks; each one came with a new set of experiences and taught me so much. Before my first child was born, I envisioned a 40-week pregnancy […]
I remember standing at my preemie’s bedside and having the nurse say, “You don’t want to watch this.” The nurse was preparing to take another blood sample – a bilirubin check – by slicing my baby’s heel. This heel stick occurred twice a day for almost two weeks and it never got easier to watch, […]
I am positive that everyone thought I lost my mind when I was pregnant. The smell of nacho cheese Doritos sent me into gagging fits, I was often found sleeping during the day, lame library movies moved me to tears, and I frequently talked to myself. I was not myself. In fact, I was better: […]
My 32-week preemie is now a full-fledged toddler, walking about and getting into mischief. He throws all the books from their shelves, dumps the toys from their buckets, and has a habit of running away with freshly folded laundry. He does a lot of the typical toddler things, but he stands out among his peers. […]
When you are holed up in the NICU, you don’t have time to cook because all of your time is spent in the NICU or traveling to or from the NICU. You may not even have much time to eat. Eating is prohibited in most NICUs, so a trip to the lounge or lobby is […]
My kids are busy making wish lists for Christmas. They started the list long ago – probably after walking down the toy aisle and declaring, “I want that.” And me, not wanting to say “yes” but not wanting to deal with the disappointment that comes from “no,” I probably said, “Put it on your wish […]
Graham’s Foundation is a not-for-profit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3).
Our mission is to inform and guide parents of preemies so that they may confidently navigate the journey of prematurity.
