Our Story

Hello everyone! I wanted to give you all the "short story" on why I decided to start this blog. First of all, for those who know, you know I have a son named Shepard who was born almost six weeks premature. He stayed in the NICU at Legacy Emanuel for what seemed like a lifetime but really was only a few weeks. As soon as we brought him home he was doing great for just under a week until he took a turn and had to go back into the hospital for seizures and many other health issues. We spent months at Emanuel, I was put on bed rest in the maternity ward for the last month of my pregnancy. After months of bed rest due to low amniotic fluid Shepard decided it was time to come via an emergency C-Section on August 7th around 6:10 pm. As they were wheeling me into the operating room the nurse held my hand and said, "Honey now don't get too upset if he doesn't cry when he comes out. We lost his heart beat off the heart monitor and am not sure if he's still with us." After she told me that I closed my eyes and prayed out loud on that operating table. About five minutes later I heard the loudest healthiest cry I've ever heard! He was great! Little, but healthy! He didn't need any oxygen or anything! He was sent straight to the NICU for observation since he was born under 36 weeks. Once in the NICU he was kept for being a very lazy eater. Days later he needed IVs and feeding tubes. In our time in the NICU, my husband and I had the opportunity to meet a lot of really wonderful people. People with unbelievable stories of their little miracles! Some stories didn't end up so happy but once we left we had a major stamp left with us wanting to give back or in someway help out in the NICU. I recently signed up to volunteer in the NICU along with the Family Advisory Board (FAB). They go around visit with the parents, offer support, snacks, drinks, and organize NICU graduate gatherings and more. I remember them coming and talking with me when Shepard was in the NICU and I was having a really hard time emotionally. The gal came and just put her hand on my shoulder and just visited with me and got my mind off all my worries. I want to be able to do that for someone else in that situation.. Its such a hard time emotionally when you have just given birth to your baby and cannot hold them or have to hold them with a million wires attached to them. Beyond that not being able to take your baby home when your being discharged is heartbreaking. I remember my husband and I pulling away from the hospital holding his blanket crying our eyes out. It truly was the hardest thing we've about ever gone through. So this week we're heading to the volunteer center and getting geared up for the year ahead with plans of giving back, meeting new people and sharing Gods love along the way! Pray that we can do what is on our heart to do! Amy