Sadie finally hit ten pounds last week, right around the time she turned eight months old. It seems like such a significant number to reach. She is looking healthy and feels a lot more robust when you hold her. She is able to sit with support, and has had her first go in the jolly jumper. There are days when I look at her and she seems so enormous compared to her pound and a half start, and there are other days when she still seems like such a tiny little being with so much catching up to do.
She is so very sweet, and we are continually amazed at how far she has come and how perfectly healthy she seems. On that note, we will be forever grateful to the NICU at both the Foothills and the Rockyview Hospital for taking such amazing care of her in her first two months of life. The Mother's Day run and walk is coming up on May 9th and will again be raising funds for medical equipment for the NICU's in Calgary. I have participated in this run many times in the past, with my mom, with my sister and nephews, and with my own kids, but this year will definitely be the most meaningful. We have decided to participate as a family to honour our strong little girl and to raise some money for the NICU. Sadie spent the first days of her life in a very high tech "Giraffe Omnibed" which cost upwards of $50,000.00. The proceeds from previous Mothers Day events have helped pay for some of these beds, as well as other life-saving technologies. A very conservative estimate of what it cost to have Sadie in the NICU for 55 days is $110,000.00. A nurse told us it was likely around $2,000 a day for a relatively well baby to be there.
It is hard for us to ask for donations, when people have already done so much for us, but most everyone I meet has known a baby who passed through the NICU. The equipment you will be helping to purchase gives premature babies like Sadie the best chance of survival. To make a pledge online you can click on the following link, or send us a cheque made out to The Forzani Group Foundation and we will submit it on your behalf. Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $20.00 or more so make sure we have your complete address.
We will keep you posted on the grand total! Thanks for helping us help the NICU.
