Laura and baby Ellie
Laura Haitz and her husband Austin know sacrifice. As a military family, they willingly give much to serve our country. So, when Austin was deployed to Iraq when Laura was 6 months pregnant and their son Grayson was 3 years old, they kissed each other goodbye and trusted that all would be well.
Life sailed smoothly until Laura’s 36-week doctor’s appointment.
“I went on my lunch break to the doctor’s office, and that’s when my water broke. I had already dilated 5 cm and didn’t even know it,” Laura said. “I was freaking out. This wasn’t the plan. I told my work I wasn’t returning that afternoon, since I would be having a baby. Then I asked if my son could stay overnight with the person who provides childcare. I didn’t have any family in Alaska.”
Within 24 hours Laura delivered baby Ellie at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Hospital, but she could tell instantly that something wasn’t right.
“I kept saying, ‘She’s not breathing! She’s blue!’ She’d take a breath and then go blue again,” Laura said. “Her lungs weren’t ready. She wasn’t ready.”
Entering the world one month early meant Ellie needed advanced treatment to help her underdeveloped lungs and digestive system perform properly. She also needed round-the-clock care by expert nurses and physicians, so Ellie traveled by ambulance to Alaska Regional Hospital’s NICU. Laura, still recovering from labor and delivery, followed closely behind.
“Literally, 6 hours after birth, I walked out of the military hospital and my best friend drove me to Alaska Regional Hospital’s NICU. I just had to. I didn’t have my husband, my son or my new baby girl — I just had to go be with my baby,” Laura said.
Upon arrival, Laura found little Ellie settled in and (most importantly) breathing consistently.
“She was beautiful from the beginning — like a baby doll. They had her intubated and she looked good,” Laura said.
Laura slept, showered, pumped breastmilk and made a temporary home base at Alaska Regional Hospital. Plus, Laura’s Nana (grandmother) flew to Alaska to care for Grayson, allowing Laura to focus on Ellie.
“A NICU baby is different than a regular newborn baby. At first, we weighed Ellie when she was tube fed, with and without diapers. Eventually we worked on trying to switch her to a bottle, and then we worked to have her drink milk at my breast. It was a lot and sometimes overwhelming,” Laura said.
To provide added comfort to baby Ellie, NICU nurses strategically placed warm bean pads in her bed — so it felt like a loving hand always remained nearby. The nurses also stayed near Laura, providing comfort, hope and strength during the emotionally and physically taxing time.
“The nurses were my everything. I could talk with my husband on Facetime, but the nurses were right there in it with me. They became family. And they taught me everything as we went along,” Laura said. “There were days when I didn’t know if we’d get through it. I didn’t know what was going to happen. But we got through — and so will you.”
After nine days in the NICU, Ellie went home; 6 months later, she met her daddy.
“Austin came home on Valentine's Day, and she went right to him. Ever since she's been obsessed with her father!" Laura said. "Now Ellie's a wild, hard-headed, almost two-year-old with an attitude of a teenager. She'll tell you, 'No!' but then she'll give you the best cuddles in the world.”