#everyhourstronger

Abstract

Having a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a heart-wrenching, anxiety-inducing, and challenging experience. No family wants to have a less-than-perfect baby at birth, and yet every day, babies are born prematurely or with other health complications who need additional intensive care. When this happens, parents find themselves visiting their newborns in the NICU instead of taking them home to the nursery room that they so lovingly decorated and prepared for their baby. Amanda shares her personal journey – from the moment she was rushed to the hospital, to the emptiness she felt when her baby was whisked away after being born, to the unpredictability of having a son with special healthcare needs. But through it all she has learned that she is stronger and more brave than she ever thought possible. And so is her son.