Dear NICU Mama is a non-profit designed to connect, encourage,
and create community with past and present NICU moms and birth-givers around the world.
FOUNDING STORY
In 2019, Ashley Ham found herself sitting alone in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) 300 miles away from home, watching her son born prematurely at 28 weeks, fight for his life through the walls of an incubator. From her emergency life-flight across state-lines, traumatic delivery, and her son’s subsequent 87 day NICU stay, she began to feel the pangs of isolation, trauma, and loneliness that so many NICU mothers do. When Martha Mink, a veteran NICU parent to a 25 & 29 weeker, reached out via social media, they jumped at the opportunity to meet over a cup of coffee. Within minutes, Ashley and Martha felt an unspoken connection and discovered the transformational power of community and friendship for NICU mothers.
This healing experience inspired Ashley and Martha to found Dear NICU Mama, an entirely volunteer and NICU mama lead organization designed to connect, encourage, and create community with past and present NICU moms. Through educational and peer-support events, online advocacy, merchandise collections, and their signature podcast, Dear NICU Mama reaches thousands of women each month.
Since its inception in 2019, Dear NICU Mama has seen exponential growth in the local Fargo-Moorhead area, as well as in the national and global markets. Every minute in the United States 30 babies are admitted to the NICU, and with each new NICU baby is a NICU mother in dire need of love and support. As the rates of premature birth and NICU admittance continue to grow in the United States, Dear NICU Mama is committed to the well-being and mental-health of every NICU mama.
COMMUNITY BENEFIT
Seeing your child fight for their life while hooked up to wires and tubes, not being able to touch or interact with your baby as you anticipated, and leaving the hospital with empty arms are all examples of the traumatic experiences that NICU parents endure for days, weeks, months, and sometimes years in the hospital. And as incredible as our NICU hospitals are, many are not equipped to support family members in their acute mental distress. Nearly 60% of parents who have had children in the NICU are diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following their stay. Stigma and access often prevent these mamas from pursuing mental health support or sharing their experiences with loved ones. And now more than ever, NICU mamas past and present are experiencing isolation and stress due to the residual effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
THIS is where Dear NICU Mama steps in. Our free, community-based and trauma-informed support offerings give NICU Mamas the chance to heal at their own pace. Although peer-support is not a substitute for professional medical or mental healthcare, it’s a vital part of trauma-healing. As renowned trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk writes, “Traumatized human beings recover in the context of relationships.” Our Sisterhood provides validation, support, encouragement, and unconditional love for NICU Mamas in need.
BY THE NUMBERS
600
Attendees Dear NICU Mama Events and Webinars
4,000
Individual Pieces of Walking Letter of Hope Apparel shipped worldwide
6,000
Members of Virtual Support Discussion Group on Facebook
13,000
Individual Families Reached via Hospital Outreach Materials
50,000
Downloads of the Dear NICU Mama Podcast
3.2 million
Engaged in Social Media Posts
STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION
Dear NICU Mama was created to support NICU mothers, including those who identify as women and birth givers, but we seek to be a safe and welcoming environment for all people to learn, love, and find hope.
Dear NICU Mama does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, the appointment to and termination from its Board of Directors, hiring and firing of staff or contractors, selection of volunteers, selection of vendors, and providing of services.
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
Support the mission and movement of Dear NICU Mama with a one-time or recurring gift!
“Dear NICU Mama made me feel heard and supported when I felt like no one understood. My son’s NICU stay following our traumatic birth was incredibly isolating. I felt like I couldn’t talk about our experience- seeing posts by other new parents hurt as our birth was so different and scary. I posted in Dear NICU Mama and was amazed by the virtual love from moms who understood all over the country!” -KELSEY