“All NICU graduates deserve the superhero treatment because they are the bravest and strongest little souls.”
After a near-perfect first two trimesters of my pregnancy, I began experiencing bleeding at 24 weeks. There were no red flags or anything in my experience that I believed caused it, but it was truly an unwelcome surprise. After seven days of on-and-off complications, I was admitted to an area hospital. Initial ultrasounds showed a lack of protective fluid for the baby. The potential for a very early delivery led doctors to recommend we be transferred to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (CBMC) for their specialized Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for micro-preemie babies. Once at CBMC, our little boy stayed strong for four days of trips to and from Labor & Delivery and the Antepartum Unit. Then, on Halloween day, Westley J. was born at 25 weeks and 5 days via emergency C-section. Special shout out to the Obstetrics and OR team that mobilized faster than I could have imagined after a terrifying placental abruption and related serious blood clot condition.
The words that rang the truest during Westley’s journey were that a NICU stay is often like a roller coaster ride filled with ups and downs and the progress being made does not always go in a straight line. Many days felt “smooth” and “no news was good news,” but there were also days that included apnea scares, IVs, PICC lines, blood transfusions, steroids, diuretics, antibiotics, a move to the isolation wing, radiology testing, respiratory machines and too many wires to recount now. All this was in an effort to help Wes grow and go home a healthy baby boy. It really put into perspective all a woman’s body is doing during a usual nine-month pregnancy.
Since he was so strong throughout his NICU stay, I felt confident that Wes would be home by his due date in early February. But, re-intubations and a chronic lung disease diagnosis were wake-up calls that this would be an even longer and more difficult process than we had hoped. He did have little wins along the way, but they sometimes felt difficult to celebrate when it seemed like we kept getting an overwhelming amount of disappointing news.
We felt our greatest allies in the NICU were the amazing nurses. They spent the most time with Westley at the bedside and they knew and understood his daily care better than we could have imagined. This seemed especially true for the babies that have a lengthy NICU stay, like Wes. Wes’s daytime primary nurse, Laurie, came to our rescue countless times and advocated for him when it came to making feedings and formula decisions, which we felt were really holding him back. Her expertise and tenacity were the extra push needed to get Westley home. Our primary night nurse, Mackenzie, was with Wes on the night he was born and she even came in on her day off to see him go home, almost 5 months later. It was very touching.
Westley was discharged after spending 144 days in the CBMC NICU. The fog of emotions that weighed heavy on us as a NICU family sometimes made it feel like the end of our stay would never come. But it did, and we will be forever grateful for that. Now I can barely remember the “hold” music that used to haunt my dreams after calling the unit countless times to check in on our little guy. It’s difficult to revisit such painful memories, but it is also a very important part of Wes’ history. The incredible team that cared for him and saved his life (and mine) are a part of his story too. All NICU graduates deserve the superhero treatment because they are the bravest and strongest little souls.
Today, Westley is a sweet and vibrant two-year-old with the most infectious smile and laugh. He just wants to explore the outdoors and play with his beloved Hot Wheels cars. He doesn’t stop singing and humming, just like his mother, and can’t sit still, just like his father. We wouldn’t have it any other way!
-Westley’s Mom, Emma
Learn more about the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center.