MIRACLE MONDAYS – Tinleigh Lauer

The goal for Nichole Lauer was to get to 34 weeks gestation. Nichole had been diagnosed with preeclampsia and she knew there could be trouble if she didn’t get to the goal.

“Tinleigh was born at 32 weeks gestation, 8 weeks early at 3 lbs 12 ounces,” said Nichole. We were really concerned at what giving birth to a preemie would look like. “The doctors came in and told us to expect a rollercoaster.”

That rollercoaster continued for the next 17 days in the NICU. “We had a lot of concerns,” Nicole said.

One of them was that she would get cold during a bath and that her body temperature would drop. “I didn’t know how often I should have given her a bath. One nurse looked at me like I was crazy and said, ‘She’s your kid, you can bathe her whenever you want.’ I think that’s when I finally realized that even though she was tiny, she was going to be okay and I couldn’t break her.”

Today, Tinleigh is five years old and wants to be a mermaid. “She is just as feisty as Dr. Batton predicted!”

“The care Tinleigh received at the St. John’s NICU was top notch. The Nurses not only took the best care of our previous baby, but also coached us through what my husband would consider one of the most difficult parts of our lives.”