“Anyone who refreshes others will be refreshed." ~ Proverbs
11:25
In an instant, Teri was
transported back in time. She felt the
beat of a rhythmic heart and gentle voices muffled by the protective walls of
her mother’s womb.
Thrust into life at just 29 weeks gestation, Teri weighed just
over 2½ pounds; kept alive in critical condition by machines, medications and a
dedicated hospital staff. Unfamiliar
voices, harsh sounds, and bright lights characterized her strange new world.
This dream had occurred before – vivid, emotive, real!
During the earliest days, behavior was her only form of communication. When stressed or unhappy, Teri covered her
face, spit up, or even stopped breathing.
She loved the sound of her mother’s voice best, but any soothing
pitch seemed equally reassuring especially when someone sang a lullaby or read
a book. Soft music helped the transition
between sleep cycles.
Preemie’s eyes take longer to mature than their hearing, so
in the beginning, she spent only brief periods of time with her eyes open and
only in dim light. Faces were Teri’s
favorite!
Like most newborns, she had difficulty handling multiple
stimuli at once – like trying to listen or focus while feeding. Confusion and frustration usually followed
overstimulation.
For Teri, the fondest memory of her dream was snuggle-time
at about 4 pounds. Feeling Dad’s arms
wrapped around her brought hope for the future.
In Mom’s embrace she started believing that there was nothing to fear,
that everything was sunshine, aromatic flowers, and kind people. Cuddles were the only medicine she needed; a
friendly star in an otherwise lonely universe.
Busy hospital sounds jolted Teri back to reality ...
daydream over.
She gazed down at a docile preemie nestled against her
chest, fingers curled into the fabric just enough to reassure him they were
together in this odd place. She felt his
warmth seeping into her heart and kissed his tiny scalp with a grateful tear.
For the next 30 minutes, Teri lightly rocked him while
reading the children's book, "Corduroy" and then singing "You
are My Sunshine." Before she left
she offered a prayer asking the “Giver of Life” to bless this sweet child with
the strength to stay alive and grace for a loving and fruitful life.
Love always seems in short supply. Luckily, there are special volunteers
offering up theirs to the tiniest who need it most. Teri had come full circle – as one once
cuddled in the NICU and now as a volunteer “Cuddler.”
Cuddler’s give parents some peace of mind that when they’re
not able to be present, their babies are in loving hands and not alone. And for babies exposed to opioids during
gestation, cuddling helps them battle the toughest moments of their young lives
- withdrawal.
A newborns’ initial ability only to receive highlights
for me how potent is the joy of giving.
"I thank You, Lord as a volunteer, for
the chance to serve another year. And to
give of myself in some small way, to those not blessed as I each day.”
~ A Volunteer’s Prayer, Pulpit Helps, August
1992
