17 November was World Prematurity Day. A day that at one point in my life would have come and gone and I would not have recognized the significance of the day. That was until we had a baby born 10 weeks before he should have arrived but even before being delivered so early our son was surviving in the womb with little to no amniotic fluid which has many important functions and is vital for healthy fetal development.

To say that time consisted of the scariest days, weeks, and months of my life would be an understatement. As first time parents we did what many first time parents do... we decorated the nursery, bought clothes, picked out a name and spent hours imagining our lives as a family of three. That was until we were told at 19 weeks into the pregnancy that our dreams would most likely not come to fruition. I remember not being able to hear anything else the doctors said and the room went dark. Next thing I knew we were rushing to one of the best hospitals in Boston to have surgery in a last attempt to see if a miracle could be performed. After surgery we were given a 10% chance that I would be able to carry him long enough so that he would be considered viable.

Every day that passed where he was still in there cooking was a blessing and just like that...day by day... we prayed, I did not move, and my husband took over every household responsibility as my main priority was to transform into a human chicken and literally just sit there protecting my baby so that he would have a fighting chance... and we were the LUCKY ones.

We made it long enough that he did stand a chance and at 3lbs 2 ounces, he impatiently made his way into our world screaming for all to hear which was the most amazing sound I have ever heard (now I sometimes have to remind myself of that when he screams).

That was only the first chapter of our story... we then spent two months in the neonatal intensive care unit where we watched our hearts leave our chests and cuddle up next to our Samuel inside his tiny incubator. He fought through brain bleeds, heart deformities, immature lungs, needing to be tube fed, and much more BUT he did it and we watched on helpless but in awe as this tiny human took the reins and fought his first battle in life.

Fast forward to today and he is a happy, FUNNY, healthy little boy working his way through a few developmental delays but overall he is a mighty flame and perhaps I am biased because I am his Mom... but I think this is only the beginning and we can expect big things from Sam. He has forever changed me and I am grateful and blessed to have been chosen to go through this journey with him and my husband.

I thought it was important to share this story because every year, an estimated 15 million babies are born preterm (before 37 completed weeks of gestation), and this number is rising and not only that but prematurity is the leading cause of death for children under 5 years old. This coupled with the mental scars that the parents go through, this is a community that cannot be forgotten. The next President, inventor for the cure for cancer, or renowned educator could be a premie baby. It is our job to give them the best shot when they enter this world. Please spread the word and if you have or are going through a similar experience....know that miracles happen everyday. I know this because I live with one.

*This picture is our Sam moments before he was whisked away to the NICU.