“Dear NICU Mama, my hope for you in 2026 is to see the light in every moment, even when it feels like your world is constantly falling apart. While the journey we embark is full of unknowns, it is also full of simple moments we may not always see. The light can represent many things: hope, kindness, love… And for me, it was resilience.
Our NICU journey started July 2025, and while it has been full of beautiful milestones, it has also had so many setbacks. After our daughter’s emergency exploratory surgery in October, I reached a breaking point. If felt like all her progress had been setback. I kept telling myself, “Where do we go from here?” and it felt like we were never going home. She is such a fighter, and it never fails to amaze us how someone so little can be so resilient and inspiring. While our journey continues and we enter month 6, I look back and realize her resilience is my light. It is also a reflection of mine and for that, I should be so proud.
While your journey continues and you overcome your next step (ours is a tracheostomy), remind yourself of your light. For that light will get you home. Your resilience is a reminder that you are so much more than the obstacles in your journey. That even after failure, exhaustion, and heartache—you choose to rise above, not just for yourself, but for your baby and family, to see the light.”
Love,
Alondra
More of Our Journey:
“Our second baby girl, was born on 07/20 with a due date of 10/20, due to IUGR. She weighed just 14.1 ounces. While we were progressing and thriving, an unexpected emergency surgery set us back which had her reintubated. Since, she hasn’t been able to be weaned from oxygen, worsening her BPD. Half a year in the NICU and our next step is a tracheostomy. While this will be an adjustment for our family, we are optimistic and glad she will be able to thrive with us from home. It has been a beautiful, emotional, journey, but we couldn’t have asked for a better baby girl. We were all together as a family for the first time on Christmas morning. Finding Dear NICU mama really helped me through this journey and I am excited to be able to finally share our journey.”