NICU Success Stories

[daydreamer25]

Hi everyone=]

I am a high school student that is going to be a senior this upcoming school year, which means that I have to do a graduation project in order to graduate. I am doing my graduation project all about neonatal nursing because it's one of the possible career opitons I am considering, since I will major in nursing when I go to college. So I was wondering if anyone had any NICU success stories, with before and after photos if possible, that they wouldn't mind sharing with me that I could use for my project. I wouldn't use full names or anything, and if you don't or can't provide a photo that's no problem at all. I mostly want success stories with permission from the person to use it in a project because I just don't want to use one from the internet without the person knowing.

[SIXSIMMONS]

Well I'm not sure what exactly you consider a success.  My son was born last Sept. by emergency c-section, due to a placenta abruption, at 32 weeks.  He was taken immediately to a NICU, 2 hrs away where I joined him 3 days later.  He had NEC and his intestines perforated at 6days. That was his first surgery:to remove the dead tissue. He had an ostomy bag while he healed.  I was unable to pump enough milk and not allowed to nurse so he had bottles of formula while in the NICU.  I kept producing milk due to the fact that my 3yo was still nursing. Next he developed hydrocephalus. He had a reservoir placed and fluid was removed each day.  he could not have a full shunt at that time due to the condition of his intestines.  After 3 weeks his intestines were reconnected and then a week after that he had a VP shunt placed to drain fluid from his brain.  3 days later, his healing intestines sealed off the tube and his final surgery was to repositioning of the tube.  During his stay, my 3yo and I stayed at the Ronald McDonald house and walked over to see him every day.  My other 4 children were at home with my husband. At 53 days, just 5days shy of full term we brought him home.  He is now almost 10 mos.  He is happily nursing and takes supplement through a SNS.  He has some gross and fine motor delays: He still does not hold his head up very long or support his upper body.  In a few weeks he will start having PT twice a week.  His developmental pediatrician feels that he is making great progress and has no doubts that he will do fine witha little help.  He seems to be a very happy healthy little boy.  It was a struggle, but we all survived, I guess that makes it a success.

[snailexpress]

I think my daughter might count as a success. :)

She was born July 4, 2010 at 35 weeks and her lungs just weren't quite ready.  She was placed on forced oxygen and CPAP and responded well, then her left lung began to vent into her chest cavity.  She has a small scar from the tube they had to put into her side, but once the air was removed (and the pressure taken off of her heart and right lung) she began to breathe easier.  She was severely jaundiced and had a handful of other, smaller issues, but responded very well to all treatments and was released to us after a week.

She's just turned one year old and people are amazed to learn that she was a NICU preemie.  She's strong, healthy, happy and SUCH a determined little girl!  She's *thisclose* to walking, climbs like a monkey, can throw a ball better than our three year old, and sings constantly.  She's had two respiratory infections in her first year, though our pediatrician assured us that it had nothing to do with her scary start.

I don't want to post photos here, but you're welcome to contact me if you'd like to hear more of her story.

Good luck with your project! :)

[skylarsmama]

My boys are a success story. They were born at 25 weeks gestation, weighing 1lb. 3oz. and 1lb. 5.2oz. and now just turned 3. You can feel free to use their pictures and story if you'd like. I have a blog for them www.addisonandriley.blogspot.com with updates from the beginning until now.

[MissAnthrope]

My son was born at 27 weeks and 6 days gestation in early 2010.  He weighed just under 2lbs at birth and was 14.25" long.

He spent almost three months in the NICU an hour away from my home.  He started out on an oscillating ventilator, IV nutrition, and supplemental oxygen.  He had artificial surfectant, which made a huge difference to his chances.  We were there every day, for 8 or 12 hours each day, staying late into the night, with kangaroo care or even just holding his tiny hand in the beginning.  At the end of his visit, when he was off his machines, we got to take him to a private suite in the NICU where we could provide all his care in private and just be our little family for the first time.  He had severe apnea and bradycardia, a level II hemmorhage in his brain, bilateral hernias, and developed stage II retinopathy that threatened his vision.

Today, he's 18 months old.  He weighs 25 lbs and is 32 inches tall.  He walks, talks, tells jokes, laughs at my jokes, and is meeting or exceeding all of his developmental milestones despite his 12-week disadvantage.  His apnea stopped as soon as we brought him home, and his retinopathy resolved itself without surgery, leaving him with totally perfect sight.  He's only seeing an optothamologist and a normal pediatrician now.  He's showing signs of being spatially and verbally advanced...and he's bigger than I ever thought possible.

[daydreamer25]

Thank you to everyone who shared their NICU success story with. I really appreciate it, and I'm very happy about all your babies being healthy today=] Thanks so much again!