Emmanuel T. ~ Super Hero Alias: Tender Warrior

Age: 1 month, 14 days
Weight at Birth: 2 lbs 1 oz
Weeks Gestation: 25 weeks
Time in the NICU: 46 days

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

Emmanuel was bigger then expected by doctors, he was expected to be 1 pound and a half, he was 2 pounds and one ounce. He was also expected to be on a ventilator, but he was born breathing on his own. The first week he went down to 1 pound and 11 ounces. He had a PDA like a lot of babies like him did, they tried the medicine for it 2 times but didn’t work at all. After a while, it gave him a lot of problems, like his heart rate and breathing went down a lot and could not tolerate his feedings. It was for sure they were going to send him to Children’s hospital in Detroit. The day doctors were making arrangements to send him, they found that it wasn’t necessary anymore because it started going away from one day to another. It was a miracle from God. He also had a picc line and did good with it. After that came out, he got a cyst on his chest on the left side. It got drained and the opening had to be packed with gauze for 2 days. Now it’s just a scar. He has had three blood transfusions and they have all been successful. He is very smart. He loves to take his monitor probes off to stare at them and play with them. He also loves to take his feeding tube out and nasal cannula. He moves to whatever side he wants to lay on, and also crawls all over the incubator. He now weights 3 pounds 5 ounces. I have been going to the NICU every single day and stay there from 12pm until 6pm and read to him and sing to him. It has helped him alot, but the meaning of his name explains it all: God with us. Using three or more typical characteristics of a Super Hero, please describe your child.

Fighter, warrior, admirable, smarts, strong, brave, and amazing.

What advice do you have for future NICU parents?

Be patient, and go as much as possible to the NICU and read to them. It helps them a lot.