Pabita is a PhD student at UC Berkeley, and during her pregnancy with Ditya, Pabita imagined Ditya celebrating her graduation day. Ditya was born at 27 weeks gestation, and despite her early arrival, Pabita was over the moon to provide skin-to-skin care to her daughter. Ditya was stable and growing well, but then her health began deteriorating, and she was diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis. Pabita was terrified as her doctors and nurses worked tirelessly to save her daughter. Everyone was overjoyed and hopeful when Ditya began improving, and, after eight weeks, were certain she would make it home. But, Ditya required an extensive bowel resection, and tragically she couldn’t recover from it. Precious Ditya passed away on Pabita’s chest, embraced in her parents’ everlasting love. Ditya’s parents are shattered without their daughter in their arms. To honor their baby girl, Pabita has joined the NEC Society’s Patient-Family Advisory Council to build a world without this devastating disease.
Watch Pabita share her family’s story.