98 Days
One family's journey through the NICU
by
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On December 3, 2005 we unexpectedly found our daughter facing a minimum of three months in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) to help her grow and get strong enough to come home with us around her due date on March 17, 2006. Laken was born weighing in at a mere 1 pound 3 ounces at 25 weeks which was very scary being new first time parents. She falls into the category of a micro preemie. It was recommended by the staff at the hospital, who were extremely supportive and informative, that I visit the library to research materials on caring for a child just out of the NICU when the time came. There actually wasn't much information available to me. We felt we needed helpful information to be prepared for when she would come home. Rather than finding some personal stories, I only came across medical books . I really wanted to read or hear about some personal experiences, and how they handled this sensitive and overwhelming situation.
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About the Book
When we found out we were pregnant, we were ecstatic. After what seemed to be progressing as a normal pregnancy, crisis ensued. Being new parents to a micro-preemie, we searched libraries and had difficulty finding personal stories we could look to for inspiration. After fielding multiple calls from the hospital and our doctors’ offices, we decided to share our NICU journey and experiences with families who find themselves in a similar situation.
About the Author
Joleen Padgett resides in South Florida with her husband and daughter. She has been a stay-at-home mom since the birth of Laken.
Recently, Joleen has become a home room parent for Laken’s kindergarten class and a temporary substitute teacher at the preschool affiliated with Laken’s elementary school.
In addition to this book, Joleen has begun writing a series of children’s books. It has been a fun challenge and affords her the opportunity to work closely with her best friend of many years on illustrating the books.
Joleen has a BA in marketing and advertising from Columbia College, Chicago, Illinois.