NEC SocietyCategory: NEC family stories
From a NICU Mother to a NICU Nurse
Written by Marlayna McBride, RN, mother of Baby Madilyn Our daughter Madilyn was born via emergency cesarean thirteen weeks prematurely. She was delivered at a small community hospital, and was immediately transported to a level III NICU. My husband and…
Read MoreHow the Pandemic Aggravates NICU Life
Written by Awanti Sambarey, PhD, the mother of Baby Indira. “Though she be but little, she is fierce” – William Shakespeare Nothing prepares you to have a preterm baby. My pregnancy was wonderful, and I did everything “right” – from…
Read MoreLiving With NEC: A Survivor’s Experience
Lakevia is grateful to have survived this terrifying disease but continues to live with its consequences- she shares her story.
Read MoreWe Lost Our Daughter to NEC During the COVID-19 Crisis
Written by Emilia’s mother, Felicia Sears. Our daughter, Emilia Quinn Sears, was born prematurely on March 15, 2020. As this was the beginning of America’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, our family’s experience was unlike anything we could have imagined….
Read MoreA Story of Hope
Written by Dr. Ana Ruzic Do, a pediatric surgeon at the University of Kentucky For anyone who cared for Connor and his family during his 6-month NICU stay, he is the very definition of hope. Prior to meeting Connor and…
Read MoreWhat Is It like to Be Born Too Soon?
Written by Jennifer Canvasser, MSWFounder and Director of the NEC Society Despite me being healthy and doing everything “right,” my twins were born at 27 weeks gestation, about 90 days before their due date. I didn’t even make it into…
Read MoreOnce My Child, Always My Child
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Written by Jennifer Canvasser, Founder and Director of the NEC Society “How many kids do you have?” “Are they your only two?” “Do you have other children?” These are easy questions. I…
Read MoreLearning to Live After Loss
Melissa Dlugolecki and Jennifer Canvasser share a love for running, healthy lifestyles, and green smoothies. But, unfortunately, that’s not what brought them together. Melissa and Jennifer each lost a child to necrotizing enterocolitis, and their children, Leyden and Micah, brought…
Read More9 Things You Need to Know About Necrotizing Enterocolitis
Written by Jennifer Canvasser, founder and director of the NEC Society When my son Micah was six weeks old, I thought he had overcome his fiercest battles that are common to babies born at 27 weeks gestation. He had doubled…
Read MoreWorking Through Infertility, NEC, and Child Loss as an L&D Nurse
Written by Julie Cavellini, Labor & Delivery nurse and mother of Brooks and Carys Cossey After struggling with infertility for years, I was ecstatic to finally be pregnant with my son, Brooks. After three rounds of IVF, I was willing to do…
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