Alexander, 4, St. Louis, MO
"Our son Alexander was born at 32 weeks. During a routine ultrasound it was discovered that I had oligohydramnios (a lack of amniotic fluid). I was hurriedly admitted to the hospital for supervised bed rest, but ultimately, later that day my little boy was born by C-section. Alexander stayed in the NICU for 35 very long days, gaining weight and learning to suck on a bottle without dropping his heart rate or forgetting to breathe. He came home, still on a monitor, 3 weeks before his original due date. For the first 2 years, his health was rocky, as he was susceptible to lung infections, developed RSV his first winter, and suffered from numerous ear infections. While he hit his milestones late, he was still on time for his adjusted age. Now 4, Alexander is eagerly looking forward to kindergarten, and we have since welcomed his baby brother Nathan to the family."
-- Stacey, mom of Alexander
