Born at 29 weeks, 1-year-old Spencer and Sawyer both spent 55 days in the NICU. Their prematurity was due to twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome.
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When your infant resides in a neonatal intensive care unit, your mind has a tendency to race ahead to the future. Will my child survive? And if he does, will he have developmental delays and physical handicaps?
The new 2-story Womens Board of Childrens Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has a lot of features to help make a familys stay more comfortable, including spacious private rooms. About the only thing it doesnt have is a crystal ball for fortune telling.
The Wertz family checks out their twins’ Wall of Hope display.
The closest thing to clairvoyance here is the Wall of Hope, which offers parents who are going through a stressful and scary time a glimpse into the lives of other NICU residents who have graduated from the unit.
The Wall of Hope highlights the stories of 25 children in the 6th and 7th floor lobbies of Akron Childrens Kay Jewelers Pavilion.
As patient families enter the unit, theyre greeted by the faces of these NICU graduates whove faced everything from extreme prematurity and multiple births to birth defects such as spina bifida.
NICU grads Daniel and David, now 14, were born at 28 weeks.
Many of the families of these NICU grads came together May 3 to celebrate each other and see the wall in person. They all received a framed copy of their childrens pictures and the satisfaction of knowing their stories will comfort many families for years to come.
Thank you for being the folks who share their stories with our patient families, NICU family coordinator Marybeth Fry told the 100-plus attendees. Your stories will inspire other patient families when they need it most, because you are the epitome of strength and courage.
Makita Gulley was excited to have her daughter Amina, now 17 months old, included in the Wall of Hope. Amina was born at 26 weeks gestation, weighing only 2 lbs., 1 oz.
During the times Amina was throwing us for a few loops, Gulley would set her sights on a bulletin board that hung in a central area in the former NICU. It was a place where all the NICU graduates pictures were posted, sent in by grateful parents who were anxious to show the nurses and doctors how great their kids were doing.
Born at 26 weeks weighing 2 lbs., Amina spent 61 days in the NICU.
Some pictures showed young adults in mortar boards clutching diplomas. Others were of children riding 2-wheelers. All of them were comforting.
Amina loves cuddling and snuggling.
It gives you a great sense of hope to see these kids and they are just like a regular, typical child, said Gulley. When you see how these babies grow and flourish, thanks to the efforts of all these great doctors and nurses, you realize it takes a village to raise a child. You realize there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
The Wall of Hope is a bigger and better forum than the old crowded bulletin board. It contains more information and details for hungry parents to devour at a time when they need to be sustained.
Here, parents facing a new diagnosis can find a mentor someone who understands exactly their current situation.
Best of all, the Wall of Hope offers insight into what the future may hold. Some of the participants boast black belts in karate. Others like to belt out Frozen songs at the top of their lungs.
By sharing their journeys, all of them offer hope and inspiration.
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As part of our year-long anniversary celebration, were telling the story of Akron Childrens through the eyes of past and present employees, doctors, donors, volunteers and patient families. We encourage you to share your own memories and stories about us.