| Introduction | Introduction |
| Aaron’s Story
Aaron’s story is the story of our baby boy, Aaron Nelson Quick, as he made his entrance into the world on November 27, 2002, four months before his due date of March 17, 2003. Born at the cutting edge of viability at only 24 weeks gestational age, his chances for survival were less than 50%, statistically speaking. (Had he been born at this gestational age ten years ago, he would have had virtually no chance for survival. Thank God for medical advancements!) This is the story of my wife Kathleen’s preterm labor and our efforts to keep her preterm contractions under control. It’s the story of Kathleen’s airlifting to California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, and Aaron’s subsequent birth. It’s the story of Aaron’s fight for life during his four-month stay at CMPC’s NICU (Newborn Intensive Care Unit). It’s the story of Kathleen’s and my emotional rollercoaster ride during these early days. It’s the story of our friends’ and family’s love, prayers and encouragement to us. And it’s the story of Aaron’s remarkable, steady progress in the NICU, and his long-awaited homecoming on March 19, 2003, two days after his original due date. Format Aaron’s story is comprised of over a hundred e-mail updates that I sent out to our “Aaron Update List” of about sixty friends and family members as these events unfolded. Especially now with a new baby in the house, I’m not so sure I could soon find the time to rewrite this whole story from beginning to end. I’m also not too sure that that project would even be worthwhile; I think the e-mail update format gives a bit of immediacy to the story. So, for now at least, I’ll be leaving the story as a series of daily e-mail updates. Why are we putting this on the web? As Kathleen, Aaron and I went through this NICU adventure over the past several months, writing these updates helped me get my thoughts and feelings in order. I’m hoping that Aaron’s story will also be useful to others who may be going through similar circumstances. If you happen to have a friend or family member who’s had or is having a very premature baby, I hope Aaron’s story will help you to better relate to your friend or family member with greater empathy and understanding. This person will cherish your love, prayers, hugs and words of encouragement. I hope this story will help you in your essential role as prayer warrior, supporter and encourager. If you’re a new parent of an extremely premature baby, we hope our story will be especially helpful to you. You’ll get a close look at many of the medical procedures and devices that will, in time, become very familiar to you. You’ll also get a preview of some of the emotional ups and downs that are inevitably in store for you. God has blessed Kathleen and me with Aaron, a wonderful, beautiful, healthy baby boy. Our hope is that Aaron’s story will be an encouragement and a blessing to you, as well. Contact Us If you feel so moved, please feel free to e-mail Kathleen, or especially, me (I’m more of the writer of the family). If you could use some kind words from us, a couple of people who’ve “been there,” please e-mail me (Kevin) or Kathleen any time. Also, if you find Aaron’s story helpful or encouraging, please e-mail us and let us know. We’d love to hear from you! Thanks for visiting our site, and for allowing us to share Aaron’s story with you. Sincere love and best wishes, Kevin, Kathleen & Aaron Quick |
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