Big Milestone for One of the Smallest Patients
June 12, 2020
Rodlay Pierre was born weighing just 1.5 pounds. But after 100 days of specialty care at Wellington Regional Medical Center, he was getting set to graduate from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and make the big trip home the next day with his mom and dad.
Up until then, his parents were visiting him daily, while following protocols in place for COVID-19 to help keep everyone safe. First-time mom Rolande says they were receiving great support from his Healthcare Heroes in the NICU. “They were doing a really good job, every day, every second. The way they took care of him, they were not just feeding him, but they showed him love,” she says. “They are very helpful, not just to the child, but to the parents,” she adds. She recalls how they provided tips to help her increase her milk supply and went out of the way to ensure she was comfortable while visiting with Rodlay.
“When he was born, he was smaller than my palm,” says Rolande. She explains that her water broke at 22 weeks and she was taken to Wellington Regional where she planned to finish out her pregnancy. She was hoping and praying Rodlay wouldn’t come earlier than 24 weeks – a milestone in fetal development – and she reached that goal. Four days after that, he was born, needing specialized care from the hospital’s Level III NICU to help him grow and thrive.
A special NicView™ camera set up near Rodlay’s crib allowed Rolande and her husband to securely see him on their phone or computer, with a password, when they couldn’t be at the hospital. Now that he’s at home with them, they don’t have to miss a moment in person. “He’s doing great!” says his mom.