Five years ago today, August 24th, Emmett’s parents celebrated the most special day of their son’s life – his homecoming. After being born at 26 weeks and struggling to take his first breaths, Emmett spent several trying months in the EvergreenHealth Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
After giving birth, Emmett’s parents were taken to see their son in the NICU. They were in awe that they could essentially move in. A private hospital room would become their temporary home – it was a place they could just be together, a space they treasured in the tough days ahead. But while they were in awe of the privacy they received, they were also amazed that, in those quiet moments, they found that they weren’t alone.
“The first time I remember being in awe of the nurses was when we went to see Emmett in the NICU for the first time. We were both in complete shock, staring at him and trying to process everything that was going on. And then our sweet Emmett wrapped his little hand around my finger and the nurse asked if she could take some pictures of us on our phones. I was just blown away – as a parent, you always want those memories captured. But as a preemie parent going through a trauma, it just wasn’t something we were thinking about. I remember being so grateful that she would think about that for us. To this day I’m so thankful that I have those photos of us meeting our son for the first time.”
Five years later, they now get to reflect on another memorable photo – the one of Emmett on his first day of Kindergarten. Emmett started Kindergarten down in Phoenix, Arizona a few weeks ago.
“He’s come such a long way. He was so excited to start school and he just blows me away with how smart he is. He gets to share these moments with his big brother who is in 3rd grade, and he’s just so excited to have his backpack and lunchbox and go off to school with him each day.”
Moments like this and so many others brought Emmett and his family to today’s special milestone…the 5-year anniversary of his homecoming. For Emmett’s family, they see this as a day to celebrate, but also to give back to the place where Emmett’s story began.
You can join Emmett’s family in supporting the Care for Our Future campaign. Give today to ensure that more families can celebrate the milestones that make life so special.