by Rosie | Sep 24, 2015 | Uncategorized
Sometimes people get involved with charities because they have gone through the experience, know someone who did or they are genuinely touched by what the charity stands for.
On September 12, 2015, The Gift of Life had its annual charity gala. Founder and President Rosie Moore, wanted to honor someone who made a difference. As she stood on stage, she called a few people up by name.
Olivia/ born at 23 weeks 1lb 7 oz./ Doctors told her parents three times to plan her funeral because there was nothing more they could do. One doctor stood up and said, let’s give her a chance and try something new. Here she is almost 24 years old!
Erin/Born at 24 weeks 1lb 6oz, doctors did not assure her living as she was too tiny. Here she is almost 24 years of age.
Ashtyn/Born at 35 weeks 5lbs 6oz, here she is 17 yrs. Old.
Alyssa/ Born at 28 weeks 4lbs 3 oz., here she is at 14 years old
Bryanna/Born at 28 weeks 2lbs 6oz, here she is at 14 yrs. Old
Alyssa and Bryanna are twins.
Destiny/ Born at 26 weeks 1lb 13 oz., here she is at 8 yrs. Old
Kaleb/Born 27 weeks 1lb 10 oz., doctors did not guarantee his life or Rosie’s life, it was either her life or his that would be sacrificed, but God had other plans. He placed Dr. Walker in their path to save Rosie and Dr. Bernstein to save Kaleb. Here he is at 5 years of age.
Many may ask why we share these pictures and stories. Rosie Moore wants to be sure that you see what supporting The Gift of Life does for premature babies, but also what it does for their parents.
All the parents who had premature babies stood up in support of The Gift of Life. Prematurity affects all ages, all races, all socioeconomic status, all religions. But we can make a difference.
On September 12, 2015 The Gift of Life honored someone who was not premature, but knew in her heart that she wanted to help babies that were born premature. She has a great set of parents that instilled in her values of helping others. This little girl gave up her free time when she was not in school to go to events and help The Gift of Life.
The Gift of Life recognized this little girl with this Gift of Life Bear….
Jazlyn Rodriguez!!!!!!
Jazlyn is the little girl that makes and sells the cute little hair bows. If you have not already purchased or ordered one please contact The Gift of Life to order yours. If you want to sponsor her so she can continue to buy the materials to make the bows that would be great!
Thank you Jazlyn for making a difference!
123 Photography
Captured By Elle
by Rosie | Sep 6, 2015 | Prematurity
For many friends, parents, or family members, “what is prematurity?” is a pressing question. It arises from people who either have a preemie in their lives or have heard that difficult pregnancy is at a high risk for prematurity.
What is prematurity?
A full term pregnancy lasts 40 weeks. Premature babies, or preemies, are babies born before 37 weeks.
What percentage of births are considered premature?
Approximately 8 to 10 percent of all births in the United States, about 400,000 babies, are premature; because they are born before fully maturing, preemies tend to weigh much less than full term babies.
What does the neonatal intensive care unit do?
What is prematurity, it is when a baby is born too soon. The first few minutes after birth are therefore most critical minutes as the baby has to be able to function on its own. Having been taken out of the mother’s womb too early, the baby misses out on vital development time.
Babies who are born prematurely – also called preemies – will need specialized care from neonatologists (doctors who specialize in premature births), neonatal nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, physical and speech therapists, neonatal nurses, dietitians and lactation specialists. Together this team of professionals will develop a plan of care that will nurse the baby back to health so that the baby can be discharged to home.
What is the danger of having a premature birth?
Preemies are prone to complications such as respiratory distress syndrome and infections, and often spend weeks or months in a neonatal intensive care unit; because their organs haven’t fully developed. Preemies can also suffer from life-long physical, social, and learning disabilities, as well as brain damage (including cerebral palsy), digestive problems, hearing and vision loss.
Premature birth is the number one killer of newborns in America; 13.5 percent of babies born in Florida are pre-term, which is higher than the national average.
Premature birth takes an enormous toll on families and costs society billions of dollars each year. Most people are unaware of this common, serious, and costly problem.
How does having a baby change your life?
Many parents to be and others that are not parents ask themselves,” How does having a baby change your life?” Having a baby is a life changing experience that compares to no other. As parents you trade late night outings for late night feedings, trips to the spa, convert in trips to the park, your once tiny designer bag, becomes a large diaper bag and your little two-seater sports car, becomes an SUV or minivan. As parents you learn to adapt to maybe earlier bed times, family centered activities and socializing with parents having babies. But what happens when you have a baby that is a preemie?
What is prematurity? It is a challenging situation for many families and their newborns. What it means is that support and encouragement are needed. At the Gift of Life, we know that one person can make a big difference. We are a team of parents, families, and friends of preemie infants sharing our successes and give hope, compassion, and support to those whose lives have been touched by prematurity. Join us.
