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On November 12, 2014, 14 weeks before her due date, Gemma made her debut. At two pounds, four ounces and 13.5 inches, she looked tiny and emaciated, not round and soft as we imagined our baby would be. With CPAP, heart monitors, and temperature wires covering her tiny, jaundiced body, it would be many weeks before we got a good sense of what our baby really looked like.

After a few days, however, we were able to hold our baby, skin-to-skin, for the very first time. She weighed less than two pounds and seemed terrifyingly fragile, but holding her really made us feel like parents for the first time.

Gemma spent 77-days in the NICU– a true roller-coaster ride of ups and downs. After three months, the nurses and doctors felt like extended family, and we are forever grateful for their care.

Gemma’s first year was full of many trials beyond the NICU. She had three surgeries and was hospitalized several times for respiratory illnesses and a food allergy condition called FPIES. Through it all, Gemma showed the same resilience that characterized her time in the NICU.



Gemma is now strong, healthy, and so full of life. She loves to sing and perform, and her quick wit keeps us all on our toes! She is a loyal friend, a patient big sister, and a hard-working student. We feel so lucky to be the parents of this preemie miracle!