Kaylah Buckner entered this world on April 18, 1995, nearly 3 months early, weighing a mere 2lbs 11 ounces. Birthing a premature child is not an experience anyone should have to go through. Throw marriage into the mix as a young woman, and that already amounts to much more than your average 20 year old has to go through. Kaylah had to remain in the hospital a total of 2.5 months. Not only did she have low birth weight, she needed a spinal tap, blood transfusion, and suffered asthma of prematurity. Fed through a tube she remained in an incubator until the minimum weight of 5lbs was reached to go home.
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| Kaylah as a baby |
Kaylah Buckner entered this world on April 18, 1995, nearly 3 months early, weighing a mere 2lbs 11 ounces. Birthing a premature child is not an experience anyone should have to go through. Throw marriage into the mix as a young woman, and that already amounts to much more than your average 20 year old has to go through. Kaylah had to remain in the hospital a total of 2.5 months. Not only did she have low birth weight, she needed a spinal tap, blood transfusion, and suffered asthma of prematurity. Fed through a tube she remained in an incubator until the minimum weight of 5lbs was reached to go home.
During the time of her hospital stay, there were numerous visits several times a day. At that time in 1995, the parents did not spend the night with the children, visiting hours were over at 8pm, and the Doctors would call you any time thereafter if any emergency arose. Visiting Kaylah everyday with her dad, helped me experience love in a capacity, I never experienced before. I knew she had the odds stacked against her as the medical staff had informed us that the survival rate for “preemies” were low. If she did survive, she could encounter mental or physical disabilities. So there it was that I was looking at my daughter “the fighter”. She grew stronger daily, smiled when talked to, and grasped my hand when I would put it through the small slot to touch her. The love that you feel given by your children is unmatched to anything else that can bring you joy. Some people may differ but that is fine.
As Kaylah grew stronger in the months that followed her birth, I did all the research I could on premature infants. This led me to the “March of Dimes” (www.marchforbabies.org) which I became involved in to assist with their research in finding out what causes pre-term labor and what can be done to stop it. Studies have shown that “Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death worldwide” March of Dimes Foundation (2010) November is Prematurity Awareness Month. Web. In writing this blog, I have signed up to participate in the walk that will be held here on May 15, 2011 here in Richmond. This is a cause that I have put on the backburner, but after revisiting my story, I decided to return to it this year.
I am Stephanie Callwood-Kaylah’s mom, and as we approach the date for her “Sweet 16,” I have no idea where the time has gone. Looking at her each morning how slender she has become, how tall she is, and how intelligent she is, I am in awe. I also reflect on how lazy she is, how I think she sets out to “get on my nerves” intentionally and how different we are although she has inherited many of my qualities. I realize I am going through parenting turmoil and it does not cease to exist the older your children become. You face different challenges on different levels and ages, but you learn to appreciate it all at the end of the day. I love her very much, and can’t fathom how my life would be if she weren’t in it.
