I was lucky enough to bump into Raquel on the streets of Montrose during an art fair. We started talking about our individual mom projects. Turns out she started a project that takes hand knitted hats for babies in NICUs. Here is her story, written by Raquel herself:
After struggling with fertility and finally getting pregnant, I was excited to give birth and finally my ‘little bundle of joy’. With each passing week, I grew more and more curious about what my baby will look like. I fantasized about her height, the sound of her voice, the softness of her hair. I wondered what she would smell like and the types of questions she would ask me. I dreamed of us taking walks together and rolling in the grass.
Each time she kicked or rolled around in my stomach, my amazement and attachment to my child grew. As the weeks passed, I thought more and more about prematurity and coaxed my baby to stay in my tummy as long as she wanted.I knew the physical and emotional needs a premature baby might need and I silently hoped that my baby would not come early.
One day in late autumn, my healthy daughter was born. Not only did she not come early, but she decided to stay in my tummy an extra 5 days.
While I visited my daughter in the hospital’s nursery. I saw premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit. I saw their tiny bodies. I saw nurses. I saw worried parents. I saw tubes, machines and heard lots of beeps. My heart ached and I knew that I must do something to help these little babies and their families….the video below tells my story.
http://youtu.be/qVtSznzvz9Q
