Love, Shayna

“Dear NICU Mama, I know you can do this because I’ve seen the quiet strength that blooms in the most unexpected places–in the way you sit beside your baby’s isolette, learning the hums and beeps like a new language; in the way you memorize every tiny detail.

I know you can do this because love this deep fuels a courage you didn’t know you had. You have a quiet resilience that will astound even you. You will show up—even on days when you feel like you have nothing left to give—and somehow you will keep going. And going. And going.

I know you can do this because you are already doing it! Every choice, every tear, every whispered “I’m here” is proof that you are the perfect mama for this baby. And though this journey may be long and heavy, you will not walk it alone. One day, sooner than you think, you too will be writing a letter to those coming after you in this sacred space.

You are doing amazing.”
Love,
Shayna

More of Shayna + Charli’s NICU Journey:

“During my pregnancy, I was diagnosed with placenta previa, which meant lots of extra monitoring and, as it turned out, a few surprise hospital stays. We joke that Charli came early so she wouldn’t miss any of the holidays. My first hospitalization was the week before Thanksgiving, and I was released the Wednesday before — just in time for turkey. It was a short break, though, because I was back in the hospital at 29 weeks. On the very day we thought I’d finally be packing my bags to go home, the universe had other plans — I started bleeding again, and within two hours, Miss Charli Claire made her grand entrance at just 29 weeks and 4 days via emergency c-section.

She was a tiny but mighty 2 pounds 15 ounces and already had a flair for plot twists. At 7 days old, a routine head ultrasound showed she had intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), and later she developed hydrocephalus, which meant she’d need a VP shunt when she was big and strong enough. This ended up being when she was two months old. The morning of her surgery, she pulled one of her best tricks yet: testing positive for COVID. Her entire medical team and the hospital leadership decided the surgery couldn’t wait — so in they went, fully gowned and masked, to perform her life-saving procedure. Four hours later, the follow-up test came back negative. False alarm. (Classic Charli — never a dull moment!)

Charli spent 112 days in the NICU, where she wowed us daily by learning to breathe on her own, taking her first bottle, and flashing her famous smile at the nurses. Today, she’s home with a cerebral palsy diagnosis and a calendar full of therapy sessions each week — physical, occupational,vision, and speech. But that hasn’t slowed her down one bit. She still flashes that famous smile, now often paired with an enthusiastic “hi” that melts hearts everywhere she goes. She’s proof that even when the road takes a few wild turns, there can be laughter, hope, and plenty of reasons to celebrate along the way.”