Surrounding Mide With Expert Care

When my wife, Tutu, suddenly became gravely ill at 32 weeks pregnant, we rushed to the hospital in Virginia, unsure of what might come next. Her uterus ruptured, and she was in excruciating pain. An obstetrician delivered Mide by emergency C-section, with a team standing by to assess her condition. In those terrifying moments, doctors told us she may have gone without oxygen long enough to cause brain damage.

The Children's National Hospital transport team arrived and immediately intubated Mide. On the way to the ambulance, they gave me a moment with her. It was hard to see her through the incubator window. Mide was so small. I didn’t know if she or Tutu, who was still in surgery, would survive.

The NICU's expert team provided constant care. Infant-sized equipment, including MRIs and ultrasounds, searched for signs of brain damage. Nurses fed Mide through her nose with a soft feeding tube until she could take donated breast milk by bottle. Soon, she started to improve.

Tutu was well enough to visit Mide a week later. Seeing my wife reach for our child for the first time brought overwhelming joy.

Everyone in the NICU cared for us as a family. They set up lactation consulting, played soothing music and brought us books and food. One nurse showed me how to change Mide's diaper ― a challenge since she fit in my palm and weighed only about 4 pounds. A volunteer took cheerful newborn pictures.

Compassionate NICU staff made us comfortable enough to go home at night. We could watch Mide with a live-stream video system called NicView, and the nurses patiently took our late-night calls. After 26 days, we took Mide home, without any lasting ill effects from the trauma of her birth.

Today, Mide is a chatty and energetic preschooler. Looking back on those difficult days in the NICU, help was there everywhere we turned. That kindness and patience got us through ― and will stay with us forever.