My daughter, Ruth Cauley Fino, was born on April 20, 2020 at 33 weeks, 1 day gestation. My water broke during the night and after that my labor progressed so quickly—we got to the hospital at 9 am and had a baby girl by 12:30pm! She weighed 5 pounds 0.3 ounces.
I think even Ruth was surprised to enter the world when she did, so she went straight to the NICU. She spent the next 31 days gaining her strength and learning to eat in the NICU.
It was really tough to leave her at the hospital after I was discharged, but fortunately, we lived close to the U so I could come every day, help with her cares, and practice breastfeeding. She is absolutely thriving now and I can't thank the NICU staff enough for the absolutely amazing care she received.
Meet Our NICU Alumni
This is a special project that documents our NICU alumni. We are so grateful to watch these amazing young patients grow into their lives, despite a challenging start.