Kevin Levy

Each of us has defining experiences in our lives that force us to wrestle with the unexpected and carry on amidst an unraveling crisis. That’s what happened to us the day my water broke unexpectedly when I was 30 weeks pregnant. They call it PROM (premature rupture of the membrane) and in my case, they have no idea why it happened.

With my water broken, I spent ten anxious days in the hospital. I remember the doctor saying, “So, does this little guy have a name yet?" I thought, “Name? Umm, No, we didn’t decide yet. We thought we had 10 more weeks.” I was given magnesium, antibiotics, and steroids to help the baby's lungs mature. Several times, the doctors became worried, and I was rushed to a labor and delivery room. Then, I would be sent back to “bed rest” to wait, to hope, and to wonder.

Then, on February 9, 2009 I started having contractions and we knew the time had come. There was nothing more we could do. Kevin was born at 32 weeks weighing 3 pounds 5 ounces and was 16 inches long. His big brother Daniel weighed more than twice his weight when he was born. We held Kevin briefly before he was whisked away to the NICU.

Later that night, we saw Kevin for the first time. He looked so tired. He had tubes and wires coming from all directions. Kevin needed CPAP, phototherapy lights, a feeding tube and antibiotics.

We felt so disorientated in the NICU. We were trying to grasp the new terminology, figure out who was who, and comprehend all of the unknowns. We met many families whose stories moved and inspired us. We spoke with nurses who encouraged us to trust our instincts, not the machines. We had a doctor who answered all of our questions and hugged me when I broke down in tears.

After 4 ½ weeks, we snuggled Kevin into his car seat and took him home. It was a very big moment for us. After all Kevin had endured, it was now our time to take care of him.

Kevin is nearly 1 ½ now, waving to everyone, saying “hi” while flashing a big smile and just recently started walking around getting into all of his big brothers toys! Looking back, it’s hard to believe that it all started in the NICU.