The following post is part of a two-part series sponsored by Yahoo! Every time someone clicks here to make Yahoo! their homepage, they’re showing their support for Friends of Maddie!
When Madeline was born premature and sick, she had to be transferred from the hospital she was born in to a larger one that had a level 3 NICU. Heather, having just had a c-section, was not allowed to travel with Maddie, so I left her behind and raced after the ambulance taking our baby to the new hospital. All I could do the whole way there was hope that Madeline would survive the trip – her condition was that unstable.
Upon reaching the new hospital I sprinted across the parking lot, through the lobby, and into the elevator. As the doors opened on the second floor, I stepped – for the first time – into the often overwhelming and emotionally exhausting world of the NICU.
I soon received the good news that Madeline had survived the transport. The news didn’t end there though. The NICU’s charge nurse, and then a neonatologist, spent over an hour explaining many, many details about my baby’s journey ahead.
Eventually, I was able to visit Madeline at her isolette. There more nurses and doctors spoke to me. When I left the hospital after four a.m., I was exhausted – emotionally and physically – and my head was spinning.
It was that first night, and the sixty-seven that followed, that inspired Heather and me to found Friends of Maddie. Having learned first hand how difficult it is to adjust to life in the NICU, we wanted to do everything we could to ease the transition for other families like ours.
Because this is so incredibly important to us, we are thrilled that Yahoo! has selected Friends of Maddie to participate in a program where every time someone clicks here to make Yahoo! their homepage, Yahoo will donate money to Friends of Maddie – up to $10,000!
Thank you for always supporting us, and for helping us support others.
D in NB says:
Hi Mike,
How awesome is it that Yahoo is supporting Friends of Maddie that way? Congratulations! Isn’t it amazing how your Maddie’s legacy lives on and that such a beautiful little Girl can impact so many people around the world?
Although my husband and I have not yet been blessed with children, I hope that when the day comes we will not need to visit the NICU. However, it is comforting to know that if we do ever need to visit a NICU that there are organizations out there like “Friends of Maddie” which will make it a little easier to bear.
All the best to you and your family.
D in NB (Canada)
Faith says:
Done!
Elise says:
I hope that Yahoo is giving a straight-up donation in addition to the click-to-donate campaign. Because, honestly, that’s asking an aweful lot of your readers to do something for them for only $1 in return to Friends of Maddie. I am more than happy to contribute (and am heading over to your side bar to do so) but unless Yahoo is offering more than $1 to your charity for my support of them, I am not interested.
Heather says:
they are indeed!
Elise says:
Wonderful, I’m so happy to hear that. I made a donation directly to Friends of Maddie to support two family packs.
When we found out we were expecting triplets we had lots of time to prepare for a potential lengthy NICU stay. We were able to meet with an attending neonatologist when I was 28 weeks along and had a tour of the level 2 and 3 NICU facilities. While we were there they brought a baby up from L&D who was having trouble breathing. Even with the docter right there calming explaining the situation with someone else’s baby I burst into tears. We were incredibly fortunate that our babies held on until 35 weeks and were only monitored for 24 hours in the NICU before moving onto the floor with me. I can’t imagine how much our stress and worry would have been magnified by not having had time to prepare, by an emergency admittance, by not knowing several families who had already walked the same path in the same hospital. Thank you so much for doing this work through Friends of Maddie, I know it will make a different to many families.
Lisa says:
Getting my husband to click on it and make the change today, in support of Friends of Maddie. Love to you guys and I think what you are doing through Friends of Maddie is so incredible and so inspiring.
Madeleine says:
What a great thing you are all doing.
We lived the NICU experience and it is as raw today as it was 5 years ago when we went through it for 91 days. Many don’t understand why I still hold on to that time but as you know, once you lived that it’s impossible to forget.
You guys are an inspiration and I am so glad you share your story.
dee says:
I’m so happy to see that Yahoo is supporting Friends of Maddie 🙂
I too went through a transport from the local hospital to a level 3 NICU when my second baby was born and endured 11 days of that tenth circle of hell. How I wish the NICU had had the services of an organization like Friends of Maddie available. It was scary, difficult, happy, sad, and so many other adjectives (uh, x1000!). @Madeleine summed it up perfectly when she said it’s impossible to forget.
May the work of Friends of Maddie help to make the NICU journey and experience easier for those facing the unknown.
Kristy says:
This is awesome! I will direct all of my friends and family to your link.
My first grandchild was born at 29 weeks gestation in May. His struggles have been many; pneumonia, VUR, seizures and hypocalcemia, along with the normal breathing issues and spells . I can not even begin to describe what this has been like for our family – but then again, you already know.
Still our little one is growing stronger and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I see the new families coming in now and they are as terrified as we once were. I know how valuable what Friends of Maddie is doing.
Linda says:
Done, and will post a link on Facebook in the hope that friends and family will follow suit.
Amanda says:
Yay Yahoo! I’m most definitely a Friend of Maddie and I’m glad Yahoo is too 🙂
Jenny says:
You’re doing a great thing, Spohrs! I am so glad that yahooooooo is helping to support Friends of Maddie.