By: Sarah Ward
From the moment our children are born we absolutely, unconditionally fall in love. Unfortunately, like many in this group, a NICU journey was a burden that we had to bear. We delivered our twin girls at 28 weeks and they experienced brain bleeds, a scratched retina, blood transfusions, and numerous other medical issues that kept them in the NICU for months. A couple of years later we had another traumatic birth with our son at 37 weeks which also resulted in a short NICU stay due to fluid buildup in his lungs and breathing difficulties.
A Reassuring Sense of Peace
Through each journey, my husband and I chose to put all of our faith in the fact that things were completely out of our hands and truly believing that God was in control. We were traumatized by what happened; we were afraid of what the outcome of our journeys would look like, but through it all there was an odd, reassuring sense of peace that took over.
We hoped for the best and endured the NICU by staying productive. We prayed; we read books; we sang songs; we participated in research studies, and we connected with fellow families who knew our struggle. In Joshua 1:5, the LORD makes a promise to Joshua, saying, "I will not leave you or forsake you." Just as He was with Joshua, He was with us the whole time too.
A NICU Discharge Isn't the End of the Journey
Once your child is discharged, your journey doesn’t end and those fears don’t necessarily end either. I’ll never forget the first night the twins were home. We were exhausted, but I stayed awake just to make sure they were still breathing. That is how God loves us. He keeps watch over us, but without exhaustion. He loves us unconditionally and will never take His eyes off of us. God is watching your precious miracle and His love is everlasting. "His love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, [and] endures all things." (1 Corinthians 13:7)
Sarah Ward is a mother to three NICU miracles and author of the children’s book Our NICU Journey. She finds joy in rejoicing in even the smallest victories with others and prays she is able to use every gift God provided to give back to those who need it most.
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