Care for the Whole Child, and Mom
Hassiah smiled and cooed during his neonatal massage therapy sessions at Children’s National Hospital. The warm, nurturing feelings quickly spread to his mom, Crystal. Hassiah arrived in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) soon after he was born at 24 weeks. He weighed just over a pound.
Crystal calls Hassiah “a fighter.” He has survived lung disease, intraventricular hemorrhage — or bleeding in his brain — and other complications related to being born so early. Care from our NICU team is helping Hassiah thrive. That care extends to his whole family, especially his mom.
NICU nurses supported Crystal from day one. “They reassured me, helped me understand the situation and always put a smile on my face,” she says. Nurses encouraged her to attend art therapy. Making art while sharing experiences with other NICU parents brightened her mood and made her feel less out of control. Nurses also made sure she felt comfortable enough to go home in the evenings to care for her older sons while her husband worked.
“They always shared details of what happened when I wasn’t there,” Crystal says. “They also made sure I got enough to eat and could sleep.” This was especially important for Hassiah as his mom pumped around the clock to provide breastmilk. He is now 3 months old and weighs more than 5 pounds. He went home from the hospital in March.
“I had my moments where I cried and felt like it was all too much — juggling being in the hospital while taking care of a toddler at home while also helping my 8-year-old with things like homework,” she says. “Knowing that Hassiah’s team was taking care of us both helped. Children’s National saves lives, but they also build relationships to do what’s best for our babies and kids — and their moms.”
Crystal calls Hassiah “a fighter.” He has survived lung disease, intraventricular hemorrhage — or bleeding in his brain — and other complications related to being born so early. Care from our NICU team is helping Hassiah thrive. That care extends to his whole family, especially his mom.
NICU nurses supported Crystal from day one. “They reassured me, helped me understand the situation and always put a smile on my face,” she says. Nurses encouraged her to attend art therapy. Making art while sharing experiences with other NICU parents brightened her mood and made her feel less out of control. Nurses also made sure she felt comfortable enough to go home in the evenings to care for her older sons while her husband worked.
“They always shared details of what happened when I wasn’t there,” Crystal says. “They also made sure I got enough to eat and could sleep.” This was especially important for Hassiah as his mom pumped around the clock to provide breastmilk. He is now 3 months old and weighs more than 5 pounds. He went home from the hospital in March.
“I had my moments where I cried and felt like it was all too much — juggling being in the hospital while taking care of a toddler at home while also helping my 8-year-old with things like homework,” she says. “Knowing that Hassiah’s team was taking care of us both helped. Children’s National saves lives, but they also build relationships to do what’s best for our babies and kids — and their moms.”
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