Guest Blog: How Do You Draw Upon Your Faith ?

When babies are dangerously ill or premature, they are sent to NICU, a neonatal intensive care unit. Neonatal refers to the first 28 days of life. The NICU had been home for our grandson Everett for 2½ months. With one week remaining in April, the hospital decided it was time to transfer Everett to PICU, an area within the hospital specializing in the care of critically ill infants, children, teenagers and young adults aged 0-21. The NICU was running out of beds and Baby Everett was stable and looking nothing like a preemie. In fact, he was cooing up a storm, sporting chunky cheeks and looking like a giant next to the preemies.

The transfer to PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) was a bit unnerving for his parents, who had bonded with amazing NICU staff during uncertain times, but it also represented a hopeful transition. Everett’s world was growing and the PICU was part of that journey ultimately leading to home.

I’m not certain how this all looked to Everett. He had some new faces and hands but the ones that did not change were his mother and father who had been at his side every day and into night ever since he was transported by helicopter from the roof of Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. April closed out with Baby Everett in PICU and his parents settling into the new unit and staff.

Change is inevitable. In fact, it’s the only thing that’s certain.

Uncertainty takes us on a faith journey, something that is both inward and outward. Not only is our personal faith challenged, but our faith in others is tested.

We learn this as parents. Our children not only rely on us to have faith in the future, they also do better when they see our faith in them. It even extends to others outside of family and friends to the people we work with and rely on.

Hence our journey of faith had us turning inward and outward as we traveled with Baby Everett from NICU to PICU. That same journey has now taken us beyond the PICU when he came home recently to start his next chapter.

Everett has two amazing parents along with extended family members and friends that journey with them. May God extend his grace and strength to all of us along with Everett’s amazing medical team.

I also pray for my daughter and her husband who carry so much worry. They are running a marathon. Baby Everett is a high-priority candidate for a liver transplant sometime this year.

I find myself “drawing” him along the way. His grandparents have yet to hold him but my drawings help me cradle Everett in another way.

We all thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Update: Grandparents are now visiting and holding Everett, as often as they can!