Twice blessed: my journey as a mother of two premature miracles

My first miracle: Ithamar

My greatest accomplishment in life is being the mother of two miracles.

My first pregnancy took place in Angola. Around five months into my pregnancy, my blood pressure began rising rapidly. Despite medication, doctors eventually diagnosed me with severe preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome – life-threatening conditions for both mother and baby.

At the time, I knew very little about prematurity. What made the situation even more frightening was the uncertainty surrounding my condition. As my condition worsened, I made the difficult decision to return to the UK while pregnant.

Faced with an uncertain future, I chose to travel alone while pregnant. Many people thought I was taking a huge risk, and some doctors even questioned my decision. However, deep down, I knew that if I wanted to give my son the best chance of survival, I had to go.

In August 2018, my son Ithamar was born at just 28 weeks’ gestation. It was one of the scariest moments of my life, but travelling to the UK was the best decision I ever made. Today, I thank God every day for the miracle of his life.

My second miracle: Yummah

In 2022, I became pregnant again. By then, I had already been warned that future pregnancies could also result in premature birth, so I attended regular check-ups and did everything possible to prevent history from repeating itself.

Unfortunately, preeclampsia returned.

Once again, I found myself returning to the UK, this time with my son by my side. Although the condition was not as severe as during my first pregnancy, I was hospitalised for three weeks before my daughter arrived.

Yummah was born at 31 weeks. She was incredibly tiny and underweight for her gestational age, but she proved to be a fighter from the very beginning. Watching her grow and thrive has been another incredible blessing. Today, I am grateful to have both a son and a daughter, two beautiful reminders of God's faithfulness.

The reality of raising premature children

While the survival stories of premature babies are inspiring, the journey does not end when you leave the NICU.

Every premature child develops differently, and some face additional challenges. Recently, Ithamar was diagnosed with autism and sensory processing difficulties. At seven years old, he is still learning how to chew and mainly eats blended foods. In contrast, Yummah eats almost everything and reached many feeding milestones naturally.

It would be easy to compare them to other children, or even to each other, but I choose not to. Instead, I focus on how far they have come. I am simply grateful that they are here and grateful that I get to watch them grow.

I am prepared to wait as long as it takes for Ithamar to reach his full potential, celebrating every achievement along the way.

Finding strength through faith

Much of this journey has been lonely. There were times when I felt unsupported, including in the workplace, and moments when I wondered how I would continue.

Yet through every challenge, God gave me the strength to keep moving forward.

Today, I am a proud working mother. My children are happy, loving, and thriving. Looking back, I see not only the difficulties but also the blessings that carried us through them.

Why I share my story

I am passionate about supporting other NICU families and advocating for premature babies. I love connecting with parents, sharing experiences, and reminding them that they are not alone.

My experiences have inspired me to write a book and use my story to encourage others who may be facing similar struggles.

Sometimes I wonder why I was blessed with not one, but two miracles. Whatever the reason, I know my experience has given me a purpose. If my story can bring hope to even one family walking the difficult road of prematurity, then every challenge has been worth it.

To every parent walking the difficult road of prematurity: keep believing, keep fighting, and keep hoping.

Miracles do happen.

I know because I am raising two of them.

Thanks to Maura for sharing Ithamar and Yummah’s story. Maura’s book, Premature Heart, is available now.