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Luke Cheetowalker

March 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Lucas N. ~ Super Hero Alias: Luke Cheetowalker

Luke NAge: 22 months
Weight at Birth: 2 lb, 1 oz
Weeks Gestation: 27 weeks
Time in the NICU: 123 days

Diagnosis, complications, surgeries?
Chronic Lung Disease, Stage 2 ROP, on oxygen for a year

Why should your child be recognized as “Preemie of the Year”?

Despite the fact he has been through more medical tests and procedures than most adults he has never stopped smiling and laughing. He is so silly, and such a happy toddler. He loves his baby sister, and is a people magnet with the most beautiful eyes. He is proof that miracles really do happen, and we are thankful every day for him and his health.
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Thomas the Super Train!

February 23, 2012 By 1 Comment

Thomas B. ~ Super Hero Alias: Thomas the Super Train!

Thomas AAge: 3 years
Weight at Birth: 1 lb, 13 ozs
Weeks Gestation: 29 weeks
Time in the NICU: 96 days

Diagnosis, complications, surgeries?
Born 1 pound 13 ounces! Heart valve surgery, throat surgery, hernia surgery, blood transfusions

Why should your child be recognized as “Preemie of the Year”?

After 6 weeks in the hospital, Thomas was ready to come in to this world along with Hurricane Ike. The night before Tommy was born, Dr. Adam gave us an ultrasound. This time she did not say we had one more week. No, she told us that she was taking the baby in 2 days. Brian and I sat in the room trying to come up with baby boy names. We had to agree on something because time was running out. Little did anyone know what we had in store the next day! Around 4:45 am, my nurse said she did not like what the heart monitor was reading, so she called Dr. Adam. Dr. Adam told her to prep me for delivery. I immediately called Brian and told him he had to leave the house immediately and stressed he had no time for coffee! So much was running through my mind. Brian rushed through the doors just in time. On September 10, 6:01 am, Thomas David was born weighing 1 pound 13 ounces! A true miracle. I finally got to see him inside the incubator. We did not know when we would be able to hold him. That was on a Wednesday. By Friday, we learned that he would be on a breathing machine, with a line to feed him and would lie under the lamp to keep him warm and pink. Hurricane Ike was making his way to Houston. Saturday morning, Dr. Bloss, would have to perform a heart surgery to close a valve that did not close when he was born. After a successful surgery, we were watching the news watching Ike getting closer. What a sleepless night we had! Ike rolled through and the hospital would lose power. The backup generator would immediately come on. Somehow, we were the only ones in Houston with tv! We were glued to the coverage. The next day…well, if you were in Houston, you know how it was. Deserted streets, no electricity and damaged buildings everywhere. Woman’s Hospital was opened for babies in other hospitals to be transported to during the storm. The next two days, Houston was a mess, and the hospital let us stay a few extra days. Monday morning, September 15, was my first day outside and out of the hospital in 6 weeks! Leaving baby Thomas behind was the worst day of my life. Eventually, after 4 weeks, we got to hold Thomas for the first time. He stayed in the NICU for 3 months. We would visit everyday. CPAP, blood transfusions, feeding tubes, the heart monitor going off…all of the ups and downs of life in the NICU. 96 days in the NICU were very hard, but we are blessed to have had wonderful nurses and doctors who watched over him when we were not there. We are blessed to have a healthy baby boy full of energy who does not stop living life every day!

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Speedy Tatianna

February 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Tatianna A. ~ Super Hero Alias: Speedy Tatianna

Tatianna AAge: 17 months
Weight at Birth: 1 pound 14.8 ounces
Weeks Gestation: 28 weeks
Time in the NICU: 77 days

Diagnosis, complications, surgeries?
Tatianna was born with a hole in her heart and also undeveloped lungs. She was put on caffeine. After a month of being born, Tatianna had four infections, three in her lungs and one in her throat. She was then diagnosed with pneumonia. After four blood transfusions and six pic-lines, Tatianna was discharged from the hospital and sent home on an apnea monitor and caffeine.

Why should your child be recognized as “Preemie of the Year”?

I think Tatianna should be Preemie of the Year because she is a strong individual who till this day still has medical problems, but she doesn’t let that stop her from being a child. Through weekly therapy and trips to the hospital, Tatianna still smiles and laughs like there is no pain. She is determined so succeed in everything she does. If it’s walking or feeding herself, she will do it one day.

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Super Seth the Micro Preemie

February 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Seth O. ~ Super Hero Alias: Super Seth the Micro Preemie

Seth OAge: 3 years
Weight at Birth: 2 lbs 9.5 oz
Weeks Gestation: 30 weeks
Time in the NICU: 64 days

Diagnosis, complications, surgeries?
PROM

Why should your child be recognized as “Preemie of the Year”?

He overcame many obstacles in a single bound to restore order to himself and those who love him.    He was born fast and lives his life that way.  He has brain power and the power of breath and digestion at his disposal.

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L3

February 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Landry L. ~ Super Hero Alias: L3

Landry LAge: 19 months
Weight at Birth: 3 pounds 1 ounce
Weeks Gestation: 29 weeks
Time in the NICU: 46 days

Diagnosis, complications, surgeries?
Minor eyes issues but not surgeries. He was on CPAP for 1 day and regular oxygen for 2 days and after that he was breathing all on his own. Very healthy little boy for being so early!

Why should your child be recognized as “Preemie of the Year”?

Landry was born at 29 weeks and was on a CPAP (if that’s how you say that) for one day and regular oxygen for 2 days and after that he was breathing on his own. He only needed to grow and get strong.

My son is a hero in our family. All preemies have to go through so much when they are in the hospital. They are stuck with endless amounts of needles, moved and touched every 3 hours, forced to eat when they don’t want to (even though they need it). Most people don’t have to go through what a preemie has to go through in their lifetime.

My son was fairly large for being born at 29 weeks and has been a fighter from day one! We stayed in the NICU for 44 days and we were 2 hours away from home and family. We came home and he weighted 5 lbs 10 oz and has continued to grow ever since then. When we went for our 15 month checkup, he was in the 75th percentile in height and weight. AMAZING! We went back to OU Medical Center when he was 12 months old for an evaluation on his development. He scored at or above in many categories. AMAZING! Like I said Landry has been a fighter from the day he was born. He hasn’t skipped a beat and has caught up to his due date.

I know there are many preemies that are born and have had to struggle every day and are way behind developmentally and size. I feel that Landry should be “Preemie of the Year” for the simple fact he can be hope and an example for all parents and preemies that you can be a preemie but you can catch up and be just as normal as a full term baby. [Read more...]

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Courageous Camryn

January 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Camryn E. ~ Super Hero Alias: Courageous Camryn

Camryn EAge: 10 years
Weight at Birth: 4 pounds 4 ounces
Weeks Gestation: 32 weeks
Time in the NICU: 25 days

Diagnosis, complications, surgeries?
Healthy all around she just couldn’t leave the NICU until she could keep her own body temperature without the incubator, and she had to learn to suck.

Why should your child be recognized as “Preemie of the Year”?

She’s a little firecracker with a strong will – I strongly believe it’s what carried her through everything after she was born. It helped her fight to come home and I know it’ll help her make it through her life. To add to that she’s always been very animated in her expressions and ways of doing things. She loves writing short stories and drawing her own pictures. She wants to be an author and illustrator when she grows up (if she’s not a veternarian because of her love for animals). She’s our little blessing!
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Faithful Kaleb

January 20, 2012 By 2 Comments

Kaleb M. ~ Super Hero Alias: Faithful Kaleb

Kaleb MAge: 23 months
Weight at Birth: 1 pound 10 ounces
Weeks Gestation: 27 weeks
Time in the NICU: 150 days

Diagnosis, complications, surgeries?
Gtube, inguinal hernia, Had BPD, cardiac problems, 1 kidney

Why should your child be recognized as “Preemie of the Year”?

On Oct. 13, I was rushed to surgery when the baby’s heart rate dropped. After an emergency C-section at the Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children, Kaleb was welcomed into this world. He was just 1 lb., 10 oz. and 12 inches long.

He was admitted immediately to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). He was so tiny that he fit in our hands and we could do nothing but hope and trust that God was in control. As you can imagine, it was a very stressful time. But Kaleb was so strong and he continued to improve. There were many good days, and some bad ones too. It seemed that for every two steps forward we’d take ten big ones back.

Kaleb’s mom Rosie Moore wrote a book, A Story of Faith, about her experience to share hope with other families. Find out more.

With time, Kaleb came off the ventilator and CPAP and continued to show improvement. He had problems eating so he had to have additional surgery to have a bilateral inguinal hernia repaired and a feeding tube inserted to help him get the nutrition he needed.

Kaleb called the hospital home for the first five months of his life before he was finally able to come home with us in March 2010. With the help of the nurses, respiratory therapists and doctors at the Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children who were such a big part of his life for 23 weeks, we now have Kaleb, our little miracle from God. We hope that anyone who reads this will find encouragement and understand that miracles can and do happen. Our own Kaleb is a testament to this. And we thank God and your hospital for this miracle and blessing bestowed on our family.
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Brawling Brayden

January 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Brayden B. ~ Super Hero Alias: Brawling Brayden

Brayden BAge: 4 years old
Weight at Birth: 2 pound 2 ounces – went down to 1 pound 7 ounces
Weeks Gestation: 26 weeks
Time in the NICU: 105 days

Diagnosis, complications, surgeries?
Intubated and feeding tube for 2 and 1/2 months, heart murmur, ROP – and surgery, bacterial meningitis, multiple pic lines and blood transfusions and sleep apnea

Why should your child be recognized as “Preemie of the Year”?

Our amazing, little man entered this world on March 12, 2007. I was admitted 24 weeks along with uncontrolled bleeding due to placenta previa. Each day was a gift and struggle at the same time. Late the night of March 12, I hemorrhaged and lost over half the blood in my body requiring 4 blood transfusions, so Brayden entered this world under serious circumstances. Things were so serious in the beginning for both he and I, that we did not know what each day would bring, but as the weeks and months passed – he continued to amaze my husband and I, our families and, most importantly, the team of doctors. I was still very weak in the ICU for several weeks after his birth and was able to be there at any moment. Brayden, and his brother, Carlson finally met when he was 2 months old and it looked like we were winning this battle. He was finally released at 13 weeks weighing over 6 lbs and 19 inches long. However, after he was released he contracted H flu Meningitis and had to be transported to Chicago Children’s Hospital in the Infectious Disease unit for 2 weeks. His weak body had been through so much and now this battle was traveling up his spine. Thanks to the unbelievable medical team, support of amazing friends and families, and prayer – this amazing miracle finally came home for good – and hasn’t made us stop smiling since. He is a gift from God and our inspiration everyday. I was unconscious for his birth and my husband was not present. Neither of our moms were permitted in the room because of the seriousness of it. It certainly wasn’t the pregnancy most babies and moms experience but I knew angels were looking over us. After he left the NICU/PICU, we knew he had a great chance of having an amazing life and were going to give it our best shot. I stayed home with him and oversaw all his early intervention – OT, PT, speech therapy and high risk clinic. He is now a happy 4 and a half year old and is involved in everything. The only visible wound he has from his rough start to life are his glasses and a scar on his stomach. We realize there may be some struggles in school and are very well prepared for that. He is a Super Hero fanatic…and what he doesn’t know is he is a real life Super Hero at the age of 4…to all the professional and related adults in his life that love him, support him and admire him!!!! [Read more...]

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Warrior Princess Ericka

January 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Ericka L. ~ Super Hero Alias: Warrior Princess Ericka

Ericka LAge: 7 years old
Weight at Birth: 1 pound 4 ounces
Weeks Gestation: 27 weeks
Time in the NICU: 107 days

Diagnosis, complications, surgeries?
Failure to thrive, delayed, short gut, malabsorption, POV

Why should your child be recognized as “Preemie of the Year”?

My daughter was born early kicking and streaming. Followed by 10 surgeries from tracheostomy to g-tube. She has overcome having RSV twice and being in a coma for 3 months. To being in a respiratory code for four and half hours and living. She fought for four years to live and came up being the strong princess. She has fought to survive and made it through thick and thin. She is all preemie power on high. She was a caterpillar that came out and is now flying high as a butterfly in full color.  [Read more...]

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Alice – The Fun-Sized Super Girl

December 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Alice S. ~ Super Hero Alias: Alice – The Fun-Sized Super Girl

Alice S.Age: 6 months
Weight at Birth: 2 pound 13 ounces
Weeks Gestation: 28 weeks
Time in the NICU: 58 days

Why should your child be recognized as “Preemie of the Year”?

My daughter was born at 28 weeks after a long, complicated c-section. She came out breathing on her own. After fighting the nurses with the C-PAP bubbles for about 7 hours, they finally gave up and let her keep them off. She wasn’t able to be held for 4 long days. One by one, the tubes and wires slowly came off. Alice was making strides and was able to come home in 58 days, almost 30 days before the time originally thought. After 2 rounds of jaundice, a blood transfusion, and a brief episode of breathing distress, my little hero came home, on June 3rd. Someone forgot to give her the memo that she’s preemie. She’s hitting nearly all of the 6 month old milestones.   [Read more...]

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