On January 28, 2019, I experienced one of the most frightening moments of my second pregnancy, a moment that all mothers dread - unexplained bleeding. After meeting with Maternal Fetal Medicine (AKA the high-risk pregnancy team) the following morning, we were delivered the ultimate curveball: our baby was coming nine weeks early.

Fortunately, our beautiful boy Theo was born under the best possible circumstances on January 29. Although he required a stay in the NICU, he was one of the lucky ones. Theo was there for five weeks, and although it felt like a lifetime for our family, we know other families endure much longer stays.

Throughout Theo’s time in the NICU, we knew he was in the best possible place and receiving exceptional care. To this day, we remain grateful to each and every one of the NICU care team members. Not only did they take care of our son, but they supported us every step of the way as well. Whether they provided progress reports, educated us during rounds, celebrated milestones, encouraged us, or comforted us during our darkest moments, the NICU staff gave us hope.

Fast forward to 2020. We’re living through a global pandemic with no end in sight. Imagine having a baby during this time who required additional care. Nick and I have recently reflected on how different our NICU experience would have been had Theo been born this year, and it breaks my heart knowing that many parents are living with a very different NICU experience due to COVID-19. 

Theo’s time in the NICU was honestly one of the most challenging, heart-wrenching chapters of my life. Because of COVID-19, NICU families face even greater visiting restrictions, but the NICU team at Maple Grove Hospital is doing whatever they can to be as supportive as possible.

This is a cause that’s deeply personal to me and I want to do whatever I can to support other families who are going through their own NICU experiences. 

Because my birthday and Christmas are so close together, I’m asking for a very special gift this year: I’m hoping to raise $1,000 for the Maple Grove Hospital NICU. In a year that’s been fraught with so many challenges, I can think of no greater gift than to support this care team and future NICU families.

Give today. Every contribution, regardless of size, will directly support the Maple Grove Hospital NICU care team and help preemies like Theo get the world-class care they need to grow and thrive. 

Thank you for your generosity and for your help in achieving my goal!