Caring Together
Kim was surprised on her 40th birthday with a high-risk pregnancy. After several miscarriages, she worried that this pregnancy would follow suit, but after making an early prenatal appointment – everything seemed to be in the clear.
Initial tests were negative for birth defects, but after five months problems began to arise. Doctors told Kim that her baby had a cleft lip and pallet and didn’t expect the baby to live past delivery. Kim went to the clinic every day. Then they discovered that only half of the baby’s brain had developed – but the baby’s heart continued to beat.
“I didn’t care; I had to give her the chance. If it’s meant to be it’ll be, if it’s not – it’s not,” said Kim. Baby Emilee had survived against the odds and surpassed everyone’s expectations, even the doctor’s.”
“I just never gave up on her. Even now, we’ve received hospice care for 6 months and she’s the healthiest she’s ever been and the staff is unbelievable. In the beginning I was in distress all of the time and scared and worried that she was going to leave me. I didn’t want to give up yet, but now she is stable in our home.”
With Arbor Hospice Kim has found peace, “Arbor Hospice has helped me come to peace and accept the fact I’m going to lose her one day.”
“Arbor Hospice has affected the family a great deal and helped me with a lot of difficult things. The staff helped get my three-year old son into school. I can call and cry or call to talk anytime. They do everything. They helped me feel normal. I can just look forward to each day.”
At a difficult time in life, it’s important to be surrounded by those who understand. “I really don’t know where I’d be if they weren’t here. It’s heart-wrenching to deal with but it gets better and I get more precious time with my baby.”
Emilee was cared for by the Arbor Hospice pediatric team. Click here to find out how The Arbor Hospice Foundation provided support for Emilee's care.
In This Section