A woman who was born prematurely at only 29 weeks’ gestation now works as a nurse at the same neonatal intensive care unit where she was cared for.
Megan White was born prematurely in 1984, weighing a tiny 2lb 8oz.
She spent weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Ascension St. Joseph Hospital, where she was placed on a ventilator to help her breathe – a common treatment given to very premature babies.
Eventually, Megan was allowed to go home from the hospital on what would have been her original due date.
“When I was growing up my parents would describe me as the miracle baby of the family”, she said.
Now, over 40 years later, Megan has become a NICU nurse at the very same hospital where she was looked after as a premature baby.
“I always knew I wanted to work with babies and children”, Megan revealed.
She has now been a nurse for over 16 years, providing other babies with the care they need to ensure they have the best chance of life, just like she received years ago.
“It’s really an amazing experience to give back to my birthplace that helped me get the best start in life”, she added.
Megan is even working with some of the very doctors who cared for her at the hospital.
“It is that special that someone that came from an environment like this, with problems related to being born early, did absolutely fantastic (and) decides to come and give back”, said Dr Stephen Ragatz, a neonatologist at the hospital who provided Megan with care when she was a baby in 1984.
He has been working at the hospital for almost 45 years, and said that watching one of the premature babies he cared for grow up and end up working beside him reveals just how strong they can become.
“If folks know that if they ever have a need for the care of a sick baby, there are doctors and nurses and other health professionals that are absolutely prepared to deal with it”, Dr Ragatz said.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “Megan’s story is a moving reminder of the value and dignity of every human life, however small or vulnerable. Having survived being born at just 29 weeks’ gestation, she is now using her experience to care for other premature babies and support their families”.
