Recently I saw the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) baby and mother that I was paired up with! I didn't get into the Newborn Medicine selective, but I heard they got paired up with little babies/moms, so I emailed the professor. She was so nice and got it arranged for me right away!
It was a bittersweet visit. The baby was very premature, which meant it had a lot of problems that came with not being fully developed. Apparently he was about the size of my hand when he was born! The mother's womb is really truly amazing! Without all this fancy technology, an embryo becomes a tiny little body with everything packaged and ready to go.
Sadly, like many premature babies, he had patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), underdeveloped bowl/lungs, eye problems, etc. He's probably had more surgeries than you or I will ever have in a lifetime. Poor little thing couldn't even breath on his own, much less digest anything. Under distress, his ventilator wouldn't function, his oxygen level would drop a lot, and his heart beat would dip really low. It was saddening to see the mother stress over him, but at the same time, it was beautiful to watch her pour her love out for him.
I think I'll add him to my prayers.
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