NEC SocietyCategory: NEC stories
May is NEC Awareness Month
World NEC Awareness Day is May 17. Necrotizing enterocolitis is a devastating intestinal disease that affects vulnerable infants during their first weeks and months of life. Up to 50% of the babies who get NEC will die, and survivors often…
Read MoreEarth Day is April 22!
Earth Day is April 22! At the NEC Society, we believe every day is Earth Day because healthy babies need a healthy planet to thrive. Air pollution has been linked with preterm birth and prematurity is the #1 risk factor for…
Read MoreRunning for a World without NEC
The NEC Society’s running team completed the 2021 California International Marathon in honor of families affected by necrotizing enterocolitis and Wilm’s Tumor. We completed CIM for our sons, daughters, friends, and loved ones – they are stronger than any marathoner…
Read MoreWebinar: NEC Surgery Trial (NEST) Results
The Necrotizing Enterocolitis Surgery Trial (NEST) aimed to understand which surgical treatments lead to improved outcomes for babies with NEC. This 90-minute webinar featured Dr. Martin Blakely, who led the NEST work, along with a panel of experts. The recording…
Read More10 Things to Know When Your Baby is Diagnosed with NEC
Written by Jennifer Canvasser, founder and executive director of the NEC Society, with support from the NEC Society team. This resource and others have been developed to be included in the NEC Society’s Empowerment/Bereavement packets for families recently affected by…
Read MorePrioritize Donor Milk Like We Prioritize Donor Blood
Written by Jennifer Canvasser, founder, and executive director of NEC Society After developing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), my son Micah developed end-stage renal disease and received 211 units of blood. Micah would need a kidney transplant to survive, so I organized…
Read More10 Things for Bereaved Parents to Know
Written by Jennifer Canvasser, founder and director of the NEC Society, with support from the NEC Society team. If you’d like to support this work, please visit NECsociety.kindful.com July is Bereaved Parents Awareness Month.Years have passed since I held my…
Read MoreAhmaari’s Story of Surviving NEC
Written by Ahmaari’s mother, Necole McRae This is the story of how NEC has impacted my life and my daughter’s life. I hope as you read this, you know that you are not alone, and there are families that put…
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 his birth…
Read MoreNICUs Should Give Books to Their Babies
Written by Jennifer Canvasser, founder and executive director of the NEC Society When my twins were born three months prematurely, I struggled with intense feelings of maternal guilt and incompetence. Throughout their time in the NICU, my twins were often…
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