Alex’s Story
We were so afraid to take her home. But staying with her at The Children’s Home took that apprehension away.
After a month and a half in the neonatal intensive care unit with her baby, Alex, Annette felt many fears about a safe return home. “What if we do something wrong? What if something happens in the middle of the night? We were so afraid to take her home. But staying with her at The Children’s Home took that apprehension away.”
Alex would come to The Children’s Home in August of 1991, after what Annette described as Alex’s rollercoaster ride of health. “One minute she’d be making strides and the next she’d take three steps back.” But in Transitional Infant Care, the precursor to the Pediatric Specialty Hospital, Annette was able to find comfort, perspective, and education.
“At The Children’s Home, we had the care, but without the noise, 24/7 lights, and beeping monitors. The nurses taught us CPR, and how to use oxygen and the g-tube. Once we learned how to care for Alex, we began to feel more comfortable,” Annette said.
Alex’s health journey as a medically fragile child continued as she got older, but today the 27-year-old is attending the University of Pittsburgh.
