GAZELLE MAGAZINE Volume 2, Issue 1 | Page 49

FAMILY & HOME Raine finally came home on December 3. She is developing well, and has taught her mother a lot about timing - and tolerance. “Before having Raine, I was never a patient person. This situation has not only humbled me, but has taught me that there are some things in life you just don’t have any control over. There’s nothing you can do about it, and you just have to be patient and wait for things to work out.” How March of Dimes Helped Michelle Michelle made it through three months with her baby in the hospital with a lot of help and love from family, friends, and amazing medical staff. March of Dimes was also by her side helping her through the process. Michelle recalled a key moment in particular where she learned just how important small things, like the lighting in her baby’s room, helped her to grow. “Raine would be in her incubator, covered up, with the lights out, and I would get so frustrated. One day, a nurse finally told me they didn’t want to expose her to light until she was the equivalent of thirty-four weeks gestation. They had to keep the lights off because when babies hear voices, their first inclination is to open their eyes. Opening their eyes to light, too early, can cause retinopathy, where the retina doesn’t attach completely. There’s a reason for everything they do, and most of it is because of the research March of Dimes has done on premature births.” 49 Visit www.marchofdimes.com to find out more about the nonprofit organization. SAVVY I SOPHISTICATED I SASSY