Started life small... but living life big!

Vandy Shay Gray was born at 32 weeks weighing 4lbs 15oz. She recieved care in the NICU for 20 days. Vandy is now six years old!

Tell us about your “now” photo and how your child is living life big!

The picture above is from the 2022/2023 cheer prep class that Vandy participated in at Element Dance Co. Vandy is happiest when she has an audience! She absolutely loves to put on a show! Currently, her favorite activities are cheerleading, dancing, soccer, playing piano, singing. She burst into the world eight weeks early and hasn’t stopped being the center of attention since!:)

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?

Thanks to the giraffe isolette provided by Melissa’s fund, Vandy was able to grow and thrive while in the NICU.

What is a special/fond memory you have of your time in the NICU?

A special memory I have is the NICU nurses comforting me when I was having a tough day. Vandy was having a difficult time eating and had to have a feeding tube. This was difficult to watch and I felt helpless. I was a first-time mom, recovering from an emergency C-section and was at the point of exhaustion from traveling 3-4 times a day to the NICU to visit Vandy for her care time. The nurses really rallied around me and lifted me up and I will never forget their caring words.

Why does your family support our NICU through Miracle Bash and Melissa’s Fund?

We support the NICU through Melissa’s fund because our stay in the NICU changed our lives. We knew nothing of the NICU until Vandy was born prematurely and we quickly found out the importance of Melissa’s Fund, and all that it has provided and continues to provide through Miracle Bash and Swim for Melissa. We know hundreds of other families go through the NICU each year and we want to do our part to help them, like other families such as the Georges, helped us.