I Walk to Save Lives. This is my story.
Even Elephants Start Out Small
When my first child was born 2 ½ months ahead of my due-date, I was…(to say the least)…unprepared. Unprepared for his arrival, unprepared to hear that I couldn’t hold my baby, unprepared for NICU life over the next two months, and unprepared to navigate the simultaneous worry, joy, anxiety, fear, and unconditional love that I felt in becoming a parent. But more critically, my son’s tiny body wasn’t quite ready yet either. He weighed just over 3.5lbs at birth and needed intensive support in his initial days and weeks of life, including an incubator for body temperature, ventilator support for airflow, and a feeding tube. As a first-time mom, I felt so lost, so unprepared. I wanted to hold him, feed him, protect him, but I couldn’t.
But he is strong, and he is a fighter. An AT&T colleague gifted the perfect onesie for him that read, “Even Elephants Start Out Small” (thank you Amber Dulek ❤)… small but mighty!
He overcame incredible obstacles in the weeks that followed and was ready to learn how to breathe on his own. Specifically, he needed to breathe without a machine and without the need for support or stimulation. This was a key milestone… and much harder than it seems. The brain, airways, nervous system, lungs, heart – all work hard for each and every breath. He would struggle to breathe (or sometimes just forget to breathe!) and this would trigger his heart rate to drop too far below baseline and there would need to be a form of intervention. I’ll never forget the sounds of those NICU machines alerting me and the staff to intervene, and how I measured the time gap between them, urging and praying that the time between alarms would improve.
Until, after 57 long days, I could take my baby home for the first time!
We were prepared for the transition out of the NICU and prepared with the knowledge and resources to respond at home, if needed. And so we went. As for me? I still feel unprepared sometimes (that’s just parenting I hear ), but I am incredibly grateful for every person and every organization that helped my son. They will always be a part of this village. John starts 3rd grade this year – happy, healthy, grateful, blessed!
The American Heart Association’s work to prepare and equip hospitals, facilities, and families with tools and resources to respond to cardiac emergencies is incredible and helps to save babies’ lives. I show my support by sharing my story, donating to the 2024 Heart Walk campaign, and walking in the Dallas Heart Walk on September 21st. And I’d love to have you join me. With your support, more lives will be saved through research and initiatives that literally keep hearts beating and help people have longer, healthier lives. Advocate, donate, or join a walk …will you be a Heart Walk Hero with me?
From the bottom of my heart,
Daria
2024 Heart Walk Coach
