The gift of grandmothers

Nancy and Susan with Sophie at Boston Children’s Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Nancy sits in a tiny hospital room in New York City, reading to Sophie, her infant granddaughter who is quarantined while she battles a respiratory virus. She keeps vigil over Sophie so her daughter, Katie, can safely spend time with Sophie’s twin sister, Maddie, and her son-in-law can work to support the family. “There was no one to talk to and nothing to do,” remembers Nancy, “So for days, I just sat with Sophie and read her the A.A. Milne poems my mother used to read to me.” Nancy with Maddie in 2008 This is a grandmother’s love. It’s putting your own life on hold, so your granddaughter has someone who loves her by her side. It’s taking care of your children, so they can take care of theirs. A few months earlier, Katie’s husband, Paul, phoned with news that their twins were arriving 13 weeks early. Nancy was just getting into bed when she answered the call. She threw together a bag and drove for hours by herself, arriving at the hospital at 3 a.m., shortly after Maddie and Sophie entered the world at 1 pound, 10 ounces and 1 pound, 15 ounces. One of the first people Nancy saw when she arrived was Susan, Paul’s mother. She too had driven hours after receiving the call from her son. The two women had both just become grandmothers for the first time. Offering support and optimism Nancy and Susan spent the next ...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Our Patients’ Stories Parenting neonatal intensive care unit Source Type: news