3 months early and still kickin' today

Jessica Corey - 10:26pm Dec 2, 2004 EST

I don't know if this is just for parents of preemies, but as a former Preemie I too would like to share my story.

I don't know too much about what my actual time in the hospital was like, but whenever I ask my mom she gets a faraway look on her face and smiles a lot. I was supposed to be born in late October. Instead, according to her, I started kicking insistently around late July. My mom went into labor and after only a few hours I was born. I spent a few weeks in the NICU before I was allowed to go home for the first time. When born, I weighed only about 2 lbs 2 or 3 oz. A month or two later U was back in the NICU - I had dropped to about 1lb 8oz. and was having problems breathing. For the next 8 months I spent the majority of my life in the hospital, and to be quite honest I haven't ever really stopped living in the ER. Now, I am 18, at college, and incredibly happy with the way my life has been. I am still small for my age, only about 5'2", but my mom's about the same height so I don't feel it has anything to do with my preemie birth.

As a result of being born 3 months early, I have several medical problems. I am ADHD, on medication since 4th grade, and I have chronic renal failure as a result of the IV medications they gave me as a newborn. I was diagnosed with CRF in the 4th grade as well, and am slated for a kidney transplant this summer. Overall I would say that I am a normal, functioning college kid and I an grateful and forever thankful to the great people at Piedmont Neo-Natal who helped me through a difficult first year of life. To all the parents of preemie's out there, don't despair; we're just ready to come out a bit earlier, and we have every chance at being a wonderful, normal healthy human being. Love keeps us alive

+Jessica+