National Volunteer Week

This week is National Volunteer Week. I was able to attend a volunteer appreciation luncheon at Gardner Village. Every week I get to spend a few hours in the NICU. I help check parents in, a little bit of office work, attend parent support group meetings, and my favorite part: passing out NICU parent survival kits to all of the new parents for the week. I get to meet amazing moms anywhere from amazing miracle micro preemies or full term 40 week babies having a few issues. I am so thankful to try to help them through such a difficult time. I also work with the most amazing group of people. They will be life long friends.

Last week I was helping out in the NICU and the lifeflight team came to transport a baby. They stopped and had to wait a few minutes at the front desk. I recognized the lady because she is the blonde in my picture. Her name is Linda. I pulled up the picture and showed it to her and was able to say thank you to her and the entire lifeflight staff for saving my son's life. She was so happy and wanted me to send her a few of my pictures. I love what I do, I love giving back.

The following poem is why I volunteer. My favorite part is in bold:

I have sat in the NICU and waited.

I have cried and prayed.

I have endured.

Like most things in life, the people who truly have appreciation are those who have struggled to attain their dreams.

I will notice everything about my child.

I will take time to watch my child sleep, explore and discover.

I will marvel at my surviving miracle every day for the rest of my life.

I will be happy when I wake in the middle of the night to the sound of my child, knowing that I can comfort, hold and feed him and that I am not waking to a nurse taking another

temperature, an alarm going off, another round of meds or because I am crying tears for fear of the unknown.

I will be happy because my baby is alive and crying out for me.

I count myself lucky in this sense; that God has given me this insight, this special vision with which I will look upon my child that my friends will not see.

Whether I parent a preemie with physical challenges or medical issues, I will not be careless with my love.

I will be a better mother for all that I have endured. I am a better wife, a better aunt, a better daughter, neighbor, friend and sister because I have known pain.

I know disillusionment as I have been betrayed by my own body.

I have been tried by fire and hell many never face, yet given time, I stood tall.

I have prevailed.

I have succeeded.

I have won.

So now, when others hurt around me, I do not run from their pain in order to save myself

discomfort. I see it, mourn it, and join them in theirs. I listen.

And even though I cannot make it better, I can make it less lonely. I have learned the

immense power of another hand holding tight to mine, of other eyes that moisten as they

learn to accept the harsh truth and when life is beyond hard.

I have learned a compassion that only comes with walking in those shoes.

I have learned to appreciate life.

Yes I will be a wonderful mother.

Video Link:

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=15506071