by Joel Brens | Apr 26, 2013 | Emotional Health, Family Stories, Fatherhood, Life after the NICU
As our son Jayden closes in on three, I have learned so much as the parent of a former preemie. We have seen all sorts of ups and downs, laughter and tears, milestones and obstacles, and I wouldn’t trade any of it to do it over. When I reflect on where we...
by Chris Cavazos | Apr 19, 2013 | Emotional Health, Family Stories, Fatherhood, Grief & Bereavement
When you have a traumatic event in your life, you will feel a variety of feelings. It is no different when you have a baby in the NICU. For my wife and I, we felt the entire gamut of feelings. There was fear, anger, sadness, uncertainty, with a little bit of...
by Joel Brens | Apr 7, 2013 | Emotional Health, Family Stories, Fatherhood, NICU Life
By Joel Brens of Papas of PreemiesThe NICU is a scary, foreign place for those who are entering its doors for the first time. I was certainly overwhelmed by the constant noises and alarms that went off. So much went through my mind when we were in the NICU, and...
by Joel Brens | Mar 4, 2013 | Family Stories, Fatherhood
I know that when we think of birth stories, we typically assume they’ll be told from the mother’s point of view. Today, we have a special treat – a birth story from the father’s perspective! This story comes from Joel Brens, husband to Gena,...
by Bea Smith | Mar 4, 2013 | Emotional Health, Family Stories, Fatherhood, Life after the NICU, NICU Life, Siblings
For me, the hardest thing about being a parent to a special needs child is watching Caleb, our son who was born with VACTERL, go through what he has gone through: a NICU stay, four surgeries, numerous hospitalizations and ER visits, countless specialist appointments,...
by Joel Brens | Jan 17, 2013 | Family Stories, Fatherhood, Life after the NICU
A mantra I have lived by since the day our son was born has been “My son may not always be a preemie, but I will always be a proud preemie parent!” While that sentiment rings true, as Jayden’s early start certainly changed my outlook on life and...
