Jacob’s NICU Story

Jacob Alexander Garcia was born April 17, 2019, at 2:47am weighing 1 lb. 6oz. I was admitted  into the hospital a week prior to my delivery because I was having contractions and had  bleeding. I recall being visited by the high-risk doctor advising me that I was probably going to  be released because I was not having contractions, and everything was looking okay. I will never  forget that he did tell us that if I had the slightest pain, that I should rush back to the hospital to be checked again. The following day I was released and went home. Around 2am in the morning, I  woke up with back pain but did not think much of it. My husband was awake, and I recall he told me to get up and get ready because we were going to the hospital. I asked him to give me a few minutes because I thought it was going to pass but it didn’t. Without hesitation, my husband rushed me to the hospital. While heading to the hospital, my contractions were getting worse. When I got to South Miami Hospital OBGYN emergency room I was admitted and was immediately given medicine in hopes that it would stop the contractions. I was admitted around 2:30am and about 15 minutes later I was delivering Jacob. I just remember hearing the screech of Jacob when he came out and telling one of the nurses, please help my husband and make sure he is okay because I know my son is okay. I was numb and confused. It is a feeling of not really knowing what just happened but knowing that it did.  

This began our 103-day journey. It was 103 days of pain, heartache, a fucking (sorry for the  language) roller coaster, of holding your breath because of the unknown – you just never knew  what was going to happen and what was to come. One day he was okay and the next day he is  going into emergency surgery. It was the hardest thing to go through the high and lows. Through  this journey, I learned that you are your child’s best advocate. You are their voice. You are mom.  Who better to know your own child? You have to fight for what that gut feeling is telling you.  You have to ask a million and one questions. Through this journey I met some incredible angels  (nurses) that were there for Jacob from his first day until the day he was finally released.  Looking back, I am not sure how I was able to get through it all. I managed to continue to stay  working at a stressful job while Jacob was in the hospital. I would visit him in the mornings  before going to work, my mother-in-law would visit him during lunch, and I would visit him  after work and stay there until midnight. I allowed myself to cry on my way home from the  hospital and forced myself to only have that period to cry. Unfortunately, through this journey  because I was never given a medical reason as to why Jacob came prematurely, I would sit there  and try to think about why it happened… Was it something I ate, was it something I lifted, was it the stress from work, what it has, and continues to be, is the question for me. There were so  many ups and downs but, in my heart, I had a sense of peace because I knew my son was going  to be okay. He was released from the hospital prior to his due date which is rare with his extreme  prematurity and was released without the need to be dependent on oxygen.  

Jacob is now three years old. As a result of his prematurity, he has gross motor, fine motor, and  speech delays. However, considering his extreme prematurity, he is doing well. This journey has  taught me a lot about what is truly important in life and that is to be an advocate for your child  and push and fight for what you believe is needed. I am amazed how my mindset has changed as  a result of this journey. It was not the easiest, but it has been the most rewarding because with  each milestone that he is able to accomplish our heart just swells up with gratitude. I am forever  thankful for his fighting spirit, and I am forever thankful for how this journey has allowed me to  grow.