Started life small... but living life big!
Titus Brooks was born at 24 weeks and 6 days weighing 1lb 14oz. He recieved care in the NICU for 103 days. Hutson is now three years old!
Tell us about your “now” photo and how your child is living life big!
Titus is THRIVING! He loves playing outside, his water slide bounce house, flying his kite, and anything with water. He makes everyone around him laugh all the time with his fun personality. We can’t imagine life without him and are so thankful God did a miracle for our family through the Huntsville Hospital NICU and staff and saved our little boy. He is perfect in every way!
How did the NICU and Melissa’s Fund help ensure milestones like this were possible for your child and family? What does that mean to you?
Melissa’s fund provides a lot of the equipment used for micro preemies like the Giraffe Omnibeds. Equipment like this and the loving care of the NICU staff literally saved Titus’ life. I can’t and don’t want to imagine what our NICU journey would have looked like without that equipment. All the loving care Titus received while in the NICU made it possible for him to not only survive, but thrive against all odds. He has ZERO medical complications and if you didn’t know, you would never believe he was born so early! It means the world that our baby was given a chance at life when so many babies in other places wouldn’t have a chance if born so early.
What is a special/fond memory you have of your time in the NICU?
My favorite memory was the first time I got to hold Titus. He was about 3 weeks old and those were the longest 3 weeks of my life. I’ll never forget holding him on my chest. He was so tiny it felt like holding a little puppy. There were so many wires and tubes that the nurses had to tape on my shoulder so nothing would pull incorrectly and hurt him. Despite all of this it was the sweetest moment of my life and one I’ll never forget.
Why does your family support our NICU through Miracle Bash and Melissa’s Fund?
We support this fundraiser every year because we understand all too well how important it is that Huntsville Hospital have life saving equipment on hand for babies born premature. I understand what it’s like for your body to fail you, to look at your child through a box and feel so much sorrow it could swallow you whole, and the importance of the hope that comes from the NICU nurses because they have a process and if you follow it, your baby just might pull through. We support because every baby deserves a chance at life even when born early!
