When she found out she was pregnant at 22 years old, it felt like the beginning of everything she had ever hoped for. She and her husband had just returned from their honeymoon when she missed her period. She took a pregnancy test, and two tiny pink lines changed their lives forever. Suddenly, her carefully planned future, the career goals, the stability, the timeline all faded into the background. Her heart filled with an immediate and powerful love for this little life growing inside her.
The first half of her pregnancy was what she expected: morning sickness, dizziness, food aversions, and all the typical symptoms. Though she felt awful at times, she didn’t mind; she knew it meant her baby was growing. At 16 weeks, they discovered they were having a boy. She and her husband were overjoyed. They began making big plans: he left his job as a firefighter‑paramedic, they sold their home, and they moved to her hometown so she could be near her family. It felt like the world was preparing itself for their little boy.
Everything changed at her 28‑week doctor appointment. Her doctor kept staring at her belly with concern. She measured her stomach and looked even more worried. “You’re so small,” she said. Then she asked her a question that felt normal but would become unforgettable: “How much did you weigh before this pregnancy?” She had been 115 pounds before getting pregnant, and now she had dropped to 94 pounds. Pregnant women are supposed to gain weight, not lose it.
Her doctor sent her for an ultrasound “just in case.” Her husband came into the room with her, confused at first, but she assured him it was probably nothing. When the ultrasound tech looked at the screen, though, she knew something was seriously wrong. They went back to the doctor’s office, and she explained that their son wasn’t growing properly. There was a problem with the blood flow between the placenta and the umbilical cord. Their baby’s head was measuring larger than the rest of his body, a sign that he wasn’t getting enough nutrients.
Suddenly, she felt like she was in a nightmare. She and her husband were rushed to see a specialist. She thought maybe rest, vitamins, or bed rest could fix this, but the doctor explained the risk clearly and gently: if their son stayed inside too long, the umbilical cord could stop working altogether, and he could die. But if they delivered him too early, his lungs and heart might not be ready for the outside world. They had to balance a terrible risk on both sides.
They prayed. They cried. They clung to faith and hope. After careful discussions and many tears, they chose to deliver their son early at 31 weeks by C‑section. They named him Nealon, which means “champion,” because he was already fighting for his life.
When Nealon was born, he weighed only 2 pounds and 5 ounces, far smaller than doctors expected. He wasn’t supposed to cry at birth, but he did. He wailed, loud and strong. They rushed him to the NICU, where he was hooked to machines, breathing with support, and had a feeding tube and IV. For four days, she couldn’t hold him. Her tiny boy looked so fragile, so different from the baby she had pictured in her dreams. On the fifth day, she finally held him. Her heart felt as if it would burst. He was perfect for her. She stayed still, just listening to his breath against her chest. Each moment with him was precious, fragile, and full of love.
A week into his NICU stay, a doctor came and gave them some of the harshest news of their lives. He explained all the complications Nealon might face: brain and lung issues, infections, delays, and more. She left that conversation broken, sobbing in the hallway with her mother beside her. But something inside her changed that day. She found an unshakable peace. She knew deep in her heart that Nealon would defy expectations.
And he did. Every time the doctor said Nealon couldn’t do something, Nealon proved him wrong. He breathed on his own. He regulated his temperature. He grew stronger. After 54 days in the NICU, their son came home healthy, happy, and thriving. Today, Nealon is a toddler full of energy, intelligence, and joy. He’s only had a cold in his life, a fact that fills her with gratitude. If you saw him now, you’d never guess how hard he fought to survive.
