Ryan Fennell came into the world 9 weeks early at 31 weeks. He developed Inter Uterine Growth Restriction and had stopped growing at 28 weeks due to the severe pre-eclampsia his mother was suffering from. He was born weighing 2lbs 3oz and measuring 14 inches. He stayed in the NICU for 73 days.
Ryan is the first child for his parents, Jess and Craig. For them, his birth was joyous and scary. "We didn't have the happy birth where friends and family come and admire the baby," says Jess. Instead, their baby was hooked up to monitors and machines. He could fit in his father's hand. Jess adds, "We can't describe to you the pain of leaving your sick child behind when you go home after giving birth. We weren't able to hold our little boy until he was 9 days old, but that was a moment we will always cherish in our hearts." Ryan is now a happy 6 month old and the light of his parents' lives.
Jess tell us, "He wouldn't be with us today if it weren't for the medical technologies, love, and care of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NICU. We are walking to support research for premature babies and the causes of premature births. No one can say for sure why I got pre-eclampsia or if/how it can be prevented in subsequent pregnancies."
Written by: Lindsay Atherton, Mission Mom and Guestblogger, with help from Jess Fennell, Ryan's Mom
No comments:
Post a Comment