Today has been a tough tough day

Today is World Prematurity Day

A day to raise awareness of premature birth

The implications

The statistics

How we might help to improve the outcomes

For babies born too soon

And their families

Sadly not all babies born early come home

Many come home but do not stay

Many stay but with complications and health problems

And the lucky few survive relatively unscathed

But NO ONE goes through NICU

And comes out the other side the same person that entered in

And prematurity does not end

For the children or the families

When you walk out of those NICU doors

I know that I am one of the lucky ones

I brought my babies home

But I also know heartache of the very worst kind

I know how it feels when a baby you love dies

Matilda Mae died aged 9 months

She was my baby

She was my daughter

My beautiful baby daughter

And though she was healthy and at home

She died

Prematurity and SIDS

Have robbed me of my life as it might have been

I fight my way through every day

Knowing pain so raw it hurts anew every single day

But I am here

And I am so fiercely proud of my preemies

And so in love with my baby in the stars

And today has been a tough tough day

Thinking of all that we

And too many others have been through

And continue to go through

Every single day

And that is why days like today are important

To raise awareness

To celebrate

To cry

To honour

To remember

To share

To understand

To inspire

To take action

That is why today matters

And that is why even though it is tough

And it hurts like hell to see

It is why though I know I should

I could not step away

I do what I do for all my children

Those living here on Earth

Those in the stars

Those yet to be

I love Esther and William

I love Bea

I love Matilda Mae, our star of the sea

I love our miscarried angels in the sky

I love our Sprinkle of Stardust

Come what may

And that is why today is important

Today

World Prematurity Day

Because together

We can make a difference

Together

We can

You can read all my Prematurity Posts here

You can read more about World Prematurity Day here and more on prematurity here