Sam's Story
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Images Captured by Anastasia Photography
Meet Tiny Light Sam. This happy little guy loves snuggling with his mom, playing with his dad, and watching his sister be silly.Though he has had more happen to him in the first year of his life than most people go through in a lifetime, he greets every day with a smile.
Sam was born at 27 weeks and 5 days, on his father’s 40th birthday. He weighed only 698 grams and spent 110 days in the NICU, requiring respiratory support nearly the whole time and undergoing numerous procedures including blood transfusions, x-rays, heel pokes, and drug treatments. Through all this, his parents remained optimistic, hoping to send positive energy to their son.
Today, Sam weighs over 14 pounds and is nearly meeting all developmental milestones. He may face motor and cognitive delays and his immune system and lungs are compromised, but he gets stronger every day. Sam’s mother encourages families to reach out to each other while in the NICU. This helped her stay strong and also resulted in making new friends who understand the struggles of raising a child born prematurely.
His parents are concerned about what challenges may lay ahead, but know that their son is strong. “I worry that the possible developmental delays he may experience would mean that he has to work harder than some but I know already that he is one tough cookie!”
Sam was born at 27 weeks and 5 days, on his father’s 40th birthday. He weighed only 698 grams and spent 110 days in the NICU, requiring respiratory support nearly the whole time and undergoing numerous procedures including blood transfusions, x-rays, heel pokes, and drug treatments. Through all this, his parents remained optimistic, hoping to send positive energy to their son.
Today, Sam weighs over 14 pounds and is nearly meeting all developmental milestones. He may face motor and cognitive delays and his immune system and lungs are compromised, but he gets stronger every day. Sam’s mother encourages families to reach out to each other while in the NICU. This helped her stay strong and also resulted in making new friends who understand the struggles of raising a child born prematurely.
His parents are concerned about what challenges may lay ahead, but know that their son is strong. “I worry that the possible developmental delays he may experience would mean that he has to work harder than some but I know already that he is one tough cookie!”
Story by Emily Harrison