The Guzman Family

Rubi Guzman had an uneventful pregnancy until, for unknown reasons, she went into early labor. Her son, Andres, was born prematurely on September 28, 2015, at 25 weeks, weighing 1 pound, 15 ounces. Nothing could prepare Rubi and her husband, Israel, for the fear and uncertainty that would come during their baby’s 4-month hospital stay, but March of Dimes NICU Family Support was there to help.

While the professionals in the NICU at Northwestern Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago handled Andres’s medical emergencies, Jessica Bowen, MSW, LCSW, NICU Family Support Specialist, immediately cared for his parents. Rubi says, “I never had to go looking for her. She always found us!” Jessica offered information about the NICU; helped them create a keepsake of their baby’s milestones; prepared them for their first Kangaroo Care experience—holding their son skin-to-skin—and set up holiday celebrations. “I try to anticipate ways that we can make each day just a little bit easier such as with a class, a change in family-centered care practices or something as simple as a smile,” Jessica explains.

Israel spent as much time as he could by his son’s side and recalls, “Without NICU Family Support, our whole experience would have been scarier.” The best preparation with Jessica and the staff was the 3-week transition from hospital to home, leading up to Andres’s discharge on January 28, 2016, after 123 days, when he weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces.