Christmas Week

In the week leading up to Christmas, many of the babies in the high care room picked up a respiratory infection. They were coughing, sneezing and wheezing. Their noses were running and their eyes were streaming. It looked as though they had RSV, a very common virus that causes inflammation and congestion in the tiny air ways of babies lungs.

We were very busy monitoring the infants and giving them the extra care and attention they needed to get better. We used saline drops and bulb aspirators to help unblock their little noses so that they could suck from their bottles. Breathing treatments helped a few, and everyone extra love and hugs from their nurses and nannies.

After a few days, most of our little ones were recovering. Our preemie girl though, wasn't doing very well. She was working hard at breathing and was started on oxygen, suction and nebulizers and an IV.

On Christmas Eve we welcomed a 1lb 14oz boy into the NICU. He was emaciated and profoundly hypothermic but he was also very hungry and we were hopeful... cautiously hopeful. When William stopped breathing that night, Dixie and I began resuscitating him and prayed for a miracle. Two hours later, his tiny body was failing, and there was nothing for it but to hold him and rock him. As William slipped away, God whispered that his fragile child had survived 24 hours, and that in that time, 5 nurses from 3 countries had fought for his life. God said that was William's miracle, and that now he was going home, and there was no greater miracle than that.

Our preemie girl continued to deteriorate over the days that followed.This baby weighed 3lb 6oz when she arrived at GLA a month ago. Premature babies are very susceptible to infection.

We turned up the oxygen to support her airways, we changed her antibiotic and we started her on steroids. Our 6 1/2 lb fighter rallied. Today her oxygen requirement is down and she is strong enough to bottle feed. Thank you God!