My youngest

son was unexpectedly born 5 weeks early. Nobody in the labor and delivery unit expected him to need any NICU time because its pretty rare when we were otherwise healthy. The NICU team was called in per policy but was sent away within minutes of delivery as he had great color and was crying appropriately. About 50 minutes into his life, He turned blue. This is when my life turned upside down. NICU was rushed back in and tried everything to get his O2 level to stabilize but he just wasnt perking up.

My promised healthy 7lb preemie was now being rushed into the NICU for intervention. He spent the first night constantly desatting on CPAP and was intubated at 5:35am the next morning. Carter stayed on the ventilatow for 3 days and high flow oxygen for the remainder of our 2 week stay.

Carter came home with oxygen and monitors and stayed that way for another 4 months.

Carter now is 21 months old and the only evidence of his prematurity is his asthma. We love this little boy so much and cannot even fathom our lives without him. Without the due diligence of the NICU staff. He wouldnt be snuggling me right now