Preemie Heart

With valentines day coming up tomorrow, I thought I would tell you all about the purple heart. The purple heart is also known as the preemie heart. It is a keepsake that has grown to become one of the most meaningful symbols of preemie unity thoughout the world and especially the NICU. The Preemie Purple Heart is born of an idea borrowed from the US army, a medal given for being wounded in battle. What bigger battle is there than the battle for life and the wounds of premature birth live on with the infant and family forever. The color was once reserved for royalty, making it special and it is gender neutral. The heart is not a solid color and the strips in each heart are a little different, just as every child and every journey is a little different, but the basic design is the same just like the basic experience is the same. The heart is made of glass.It is strong but not unbreakable. The premature child is strong but not invincible. It is a heart because the heart is our center, it's every beat renews life and hope, it symbolizes love. At the bottom of the Preemie Purple Heart is a teardrop, it is symbolic of the tears shed during the journey of a premature family, good and bad, joy and sorrow. When I first started working in the NICU over 2 years ago, I was a little nervous and scared. I wondered what I would say to the families who were having to watch their little babies fight to survive. There are a lot of people who say..."I don't know how you can work there". But to see a baby who is born 16 weeks early and barely weigh a pound at birth, grow and get stronger, and go home with their parents is the most amazing thing I've ever witnessed. Ofcourse, we do have hard times here but there are far more good times. The nurses that I work with are amazing. It takes a special person to be able to care for these babies and comfort the families while they are going through the most difficult time they will probably ever have to go through. These babies are strong fighters and I'm so glad I am able to see these miracles everyday.