Leighton

A Preemie Warrior

In December of 2021, I found out I was pregnant. My husband Laughton and I were excited to start our family, although we were nervous about becoming first-time parents! I was 5 weeks pregnant when I was diagnosed with a Bicornuate Uterus. When looking into complications and risks due to having a Bicornuate Uterus, the top risks associated were recurrent pregnancy loss and preterm labor. The pregnancy was rocky; there were a lot of unknowns, and at times, it seemed we had a lot stacked against us. We continued to have hope God would allow us to bring our sweet girl into this world. When we found out we were having a little girl, I called her Lemon, which has stuck ever since.

My daughter Leighton was born June 17th at 30 weeks. Our experience in the NICU changed our lives. I held my daughter's hand through the glass. I often wondered if her body was strong enough to overcome being born too early. My husband and I took the same approach to our NICU stay as we did during the pregnancy, one issue at a time, one day at a time. The night before I was discharged, Lemon's nurse practitioner came to our room. She told us that on an x-ray, they saw her lung had collapsed, and she had to stick an IV needle into her chest to release the air in one of her lungs. She told us that Lemon would need a chest tube to correct her collapsed lung on one side. She asked if we wanted to see her before they did that procedure. I remember being shocked at how sick she looked and feeling hopeless watching her struggle to breathe. During her chest tube procedure, Lemon was sedated, and then she stopped breathing.

The next day, we saw a ventilator, a chest tube, and multiple IV wires coming out of her tiny 2-pound body. That same day, we were discharged from the hospital and had to leave her so she could continue to heal. Every day in the NICU, Lemon had minor improvements; I always say something just clicked in her, and she really started to fight. After 42 days in the NICU, we brought our resilient girl home. I worked to heal what we saw and went through in the NICU and started to share Lemon's story in hopes of reaching other NICU moms. During her 6 month well check, I was told about developmental delays. At 8 months, we were referred to physical therapy at an outpatient clinic, and shortly after, we were accepted into the Early Intervention program for Lemon, being delayed in every category.

We didn't see improvements in therapy for months, and milestones that just naturally come to some kids she has had to work 10 times harder to accomplish. Our mindset has completely changed having a developmentally delayed child. We celebrate every single win, big or small. She is now in PT, OT & speech. We have seen huge improvements with therapy and are so proud of her for all she has and continues to accomplish. Lemon has a smile that could light up an arena; she radiates joy and positivity and doesn't let any limitations hold her back. She creates magic in the smallest moments and reminds us daily to choose joy and faith over doubt.