Jahirah’s NICU Story
Nov 15, 2023Jahirah and Asali, NICU Mom & Patient, St. Mary’s Medical Center
When Jahirah and her husband got married in 2019, they knew they wanted children and immediately started trying to get pregnant. After many miscarriages, Jahirah got pregnant with Asali and she and her husband were absolutely elated to be having a baby girl.
The NICU was far from their minds as they imagined having a perfect birth story with no complications. Unexpectedly, they ended up being admitted to St. Mary’s on New Years Eve 2020 due to preeclampsia and severe intrauterine growth restriction.
“We were shocked that this could be happening to us after all that we had been through trying to conceive,” Jahirah says. “The fear of having to birth alone kept haunting my mind since we were in the middle of the Pandemic.”
They celebrated New Years at St. Mary’s and were thankful that it all went well. They spent a few more days in the hospital until the decision was made to have a C-section. Their baby girl, Asali was delivered on Jan 3rd, 2021, at 29 weeks old, weighing just 2 lbs.
“Seeing how tiny she was really shocked us. Even though she was tiny, she was feisty,” says Jahirah. “She was the princess of the NICU.”
Asali spent 66 days in the NICU and Jahirah and her husband did 12-14 hour shifts visiting her. Jahirah says they would have stayed there 24 hours, a day if they could have.
“Birthing and staying in the NICU during the pandemic was something nobody could prepare you for. But we did it! The nurses and doctors were nothing but amazing during our stay,” says Jahirah. “To see Asali thrive every day, I knew it was because of the great care of the staff.”
Asali is an adventurous 2-year-old. You wouldn’t ever believe she was born at 29 weeks. She loves playing with her little brother, dancing, making pizza, and saying hi to every person that walks by! She is truly a miracle.
