John and his family spend almost 100 days at The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Keep reading to hear about John’s experience, told by his mom Erica.

We found out early on that John would be spending some time in the NICU after he was born due to a duodenal atresia and a hole in his heart. We just didn’t plan on it being in June and not August!  He decided that he was ready to meet us 5 and a half weeks early.

We spent a total of 99 days in the NICU and 14 days in the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital where we met some of the most amazing people.  Some that I still talk to frequently 2 and a half years later.  John was also diagnosed with Down Syndrome prenatally and we do a walk every year and I can always count on the nurses and doctors we met there for support.  If you go into the NICU today I can guarantee at least one nurse has a picture of John as an astronaut with cats close by!

I have so many stories that I could share but there is one specifically that stands out for me.  John was supposed to leave the hospital in August and ended up catching a cold not allowing him to do so.  They tell us we’re not supposed to watch the monitors but it’s hard not to, especially when your baby is sick. By that point I was getting pretty good at it and I knew something was wrong.  His SATS were dropping and even with the extra oxygen he was getting it wasn’t enough.  Our nurse that day had been in an out checking on him and nothing she was doing was helping.  I remember at that point a respiratory therapist came in to try and help and then there was another nurse, the neonatal practitioner who was on duty, and finally the doctor on the floor also came in the room. I couldn’t be in there with them. I knew they would do their job and I would only be a distraction.  I went into the hallway by the nurse’s station and paced. It’s all I could do.

Another nurse came by, she hadn’t been one of John’s nurses, but we had a mutual friend, so she had stopped by when we first got their and introduced herself, and she told me it was going to be ok. I cried; in all the time we were in the NICU (even looking back after 2 heart surgeries) I had never been so scared for my son.  She gave me a hug and didn’t let go.  She made sure that while everyone else was taking care of John and making him ok that I was ok.  I’ll never forget that or her.

The wonderful staff at The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital became a second family to John and Erica during their lengthy stay. Become a Miracle Maker today by clicking the Donate Now button below to help support Maine’s sick and injured kids, like John.

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