On January 30, 2013, my sister was brought by ambulance to the hospital because she was having contractions.  On February 1st at 11:00 pm, I received a phone call from Carrie asking me to keep her company in the hospital as my Brother-in-law, Josh, had to go back home for Navy Drill that weekend.  She was quite scared.  I stayed awake with my sister as they tried to stop the contractions.  We were up all night.  Josh was released from drill and joined us again in Boston.  The contractions did not stop and on February 2, 2013, my beautiful little niece, Mia, was born.  She was born at 25 weeks gestation (15 weeks early) weighing 1 lb 11 oz and was 12.5 inches long.

Mia is a fighter.  She had a clamp put on her heart at 20 days old to close a hole that would not heal itself.  She had brain bleeds on both sides of her brain.  Mia was on machines to help her breathe which caused her to have chronic lung disease.  She received multiple blood transfusions so that she could fight.  Thankfully, Mia has just celebrated her 5th birthday.  She gives our lives such joy and I want to help celebrate this wonderful milestone.  I am asking for 106 people to pledge to donate blood.  One for each day she spent in the NICU.