Ahmaari was born at 25 weeks gestation and given less than a 30% chance of survival. For months, she beat the odds, growing and hitting milestones in the NICU. By the fourth month, Ahmaari was close to going home. By the fifth, her mother, Necole, sensed something was wrong. Necole pleaded for the care team to take a closer look and was dismissed multiple times until a nurse finally agreed something was wrong. Ahmaari was diagnosed with NEC and was rushed into emergency surgery.
Ahmaari has experienced long-term complications from NEC her whole life. Today, with her mother’s support, she is on a mission to tell her story.
"I pleaded for her care team to take a closer look, but I was dismissed and ignored multiple times by multiple clinicians.”
Necole, Ahmaari's mom
What Helped
- Connecting with other families in the NICU
- Moments to step away from the NICU to support mental well-being
- Clear, honest, frequent communication
What Hurt
- Feeling and being judged
- Being dismissed by the care team
- Lacking access to needed resources
What To Do
- Listen to family concerns and take time to build trust and rapport
- Coordinate and collaborate with all specialities to ensure consistency
- Connect families with mental health professionals and resources
