My son Thomas was born at 33 weeks at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in July of 2012 via                                            emergency c-section. My pregnancy was fairly routine and Thomas's early delivery was unexpected                                        and terrifying. He spent 8 weeks in the NICU outgrowing his spells and learning how to coordinate                                        sucking, swallowing and breathing. The most difficult thing to manage during his stay was balancing                                    the needs of my baby in the NICU and those of my 2 year old at home. There was never enough time                                      in the day and I never felt like I was where I needed to be. I'm forever changed by my NICU journey                                      and it's so odd to me that it is both the worst and the best thing that has ever happened to me. I'm                                        so grateful for the amazing care that my family received from our nurses and staff at BIDMC and for all of the wonderful new friends that have come in to our lives because of this experience.  

I started participating in Project Sweet Pea volunteer events in 2013 and became an official division volunteer in 2016.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to give back to other NICU families because I know first hand how difficult and overwhelming the NICU can be.