{"id":2497,"date":"2017-10-20T19:58:10","date_gmt":"2017-10-20T19:58:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=2497"},"modified":"2017-10-18T20:48:00","modified_gmt":"2017-10-18T20:48:00","slug":"spiritual-support-helps-nicu-mom-on-difficult-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/spiritual-support-helps-nicu-mom-on-difficult-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Spiritual support helps NICU mom on difficult journey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aubrie McShane, of Peoria, chose OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center<\/a> to deliver her baby girl. She knew all of her and her baby\u2019s medical needs would be met at the time of delivery \u2013 and after.<\/p>\n

But when the first-time mom unexpectedly went into preterm labor, she never knew how much she would also appreciate the spiritual support shown to her during one of the most difficult times of her life.<\/p>\n

An unforeseen circumstance<\/h2>\n
\"\"

Photo provided by family<\/p><\/div>\n

At just 24 weeks, Aubrie felt like her water started to leak, and she began to experience some bleeding. She immediately went to OSF Saint Francis. Her obstetrician performed a sonogram, and the baby appeared to be doing just fine.<\/p>\n

\u201cI naively thought that since she and I were fine, we would be heading home,\u201d Aubrie said. \u201cHowever, I was told my water broke, and I wouldn\u2019t be going home until I delivered her.\u201d<\/p>\n

The doctors gave Aubrie steroids and other preventive medicine to help avoid brain bleeds and to help the baby\u2019s lungs grow faster.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter a few days of being in the hospital, I started kind of losing my mind,\u201d Aubrie said. \u201cBeing on bed rest is so foreign to me. I felt like I had no control over anything, knowing there was little I could do to help my baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

To help sort out her thoughts, a Sister in Pastoral Care<\/a> at OSF Saint Francis came to talk with her. \u201cShe really helped me to work through my feelings. We still keep in contact with her to this day.\u201d<\/p>\n

And just as Aubrie was adjusting to life on bed rest, Aubrie\u2019s daughter was ready to make her grand entrance into the world.<\/p>\n

Praying for the best outcome<\/h2>\n

On March 25, 2012, six days after Aubrie first arrived at OSF Saint Francis, her contractions increased and she felt the need to push.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember the staff, neonatologists, my obstetrician, my mom and sister all gathered around me, and we prayed before delivery,\u201d Aubrie said.<\/p>\n

At 3:54 a.m., little Ava was born at 24 weeks, 6 days gestation, weighing 1 pound, 6 ounces. She was 12 inches long. Aubrie recalls that Ava \u201clooked like a baby bird who had fallen out of its nest way too soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aubrie had Ava baptized right after she was born. \u201cI was so afraid she was going to die,\u201d Aubrie said.<\/p>\n

But little Ava was a resilient one.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Photo provided by family<\/p><\/div>\n

Ava spent 90 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at OSF HealthCare Children\u2019s Hospital of Illinois<\/a>, which is connected to OSF Saint Francis.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, Ava had few health concerns considering she was born early. Her health issues included her kidney functionality, a congenital heart defect and retinopathy of prematurity – an eye condition where abnormal blood vessels grow in the retina. But miraculously, all of these conditions healed on their own without further medical intervention.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe those six days in the hospital prior to her birth not only saved her life but her quality of life.\u201d Aubrie said. \u201cShe has zero delays. The outcomes at OSF Children\u2019s Hospital\u2019s NICU are unmatched.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the morning of Ava\u2019s birth, Aubrie and her family were able to go to Mass at OSF Saint Francis. \u201cOne of the biggest things for me was that my spiritual needs were met. You can\u2019t say that about every hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n

A kind-hearted kindergartener<\/h2>\n

Ava is now 5 years old and developmentally on track with children her age. She has no lingering effects from her prematurity and has not required any type of therapy.<\/p>\n

Aubrie said she and Ava have a very strong bond, and to her it feels like they are \u201cone and the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI work in health care and have a good understanding of the decisions doctors have to make. Yes, it\u2019s protocols, best practices, etc. But often times in these critical situations, it comes down to the doctors\u2019 quick decision-making based on their own experiences and training. The specialists in the NICU<\/a> at OSF Children\u2019s Hospital are the best of the best. The decisions they made throughout this experience saved Ava\u2019s life. I am forever grateful for the team who saved my child.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Aubrie McShane, of Peoria, chose OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center to deliver her baby girl. She knew all of her and her baby\u2019s medical needs would be met at the time of delivery \u2013 and after. But when the first-time mom unexpectedly went into preterm labor, she never knew how much she would also […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[118],"tags":[142,372,538],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-2497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-birthing-center","tag-childrens-hospital-of-illinois","tag-osf-saint-francis","tag-pastoral-care"],"yoast_head":"\nSpiritual support helps NICU mom on difficult journey<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When first-time mom Aubrie unexpectedly went into preterm labor, pastoral care at OSF HealthCare shared the faith she needed.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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