Section One

Dear Friends,

                  If you are reading this, you are entering a scary world of the unknown.  You are a family with a very premature child, and you are most certainly aware of the very real risks and challenges that your child faces on a daily basis.   

                  No one hopes to be where you are.  But this is where you are.  And you can make it.

                  While you’re here, we want you to know a few important things...

We hope you’ll realize that you’re not alone.  There are many others who have navigated the journey that you’re taking.  We want you to learn from them and be encouraged by them.

We hope you’ll realize that you’re not hopeless.  You live in a great day and age in which a tiny premature child can overcome various hurdles, and your child is in an ideal facility to provide the best chance of getting past those challenges.

We hope you’ll realize that you’re not powerless.  While much of your child’s well-being will be completely out of your hands, and while there are no guarantees, there are action steps that you can take that are in your control, and that could make a great difference for your child.

This brochure and the enclosed gifts are dedicated to those steps.  We hope that they will help you, and that you’ll consider helping us pass them on to others who one day find themselves where you are today.

May your family be blessed!

The Families of Project Seahorse

Section Two

Five Action Steps for PEACE for

The Family of the Premature Child

Be Present                                

                Your child needs you by his or her side as much as possible. Take advantage of this facility’s willingness to let you be near your baby during most hours.  Take pictures, celebrate your child’s life, and don’t miss the opportunity just to be next to his or her bedside.

Be Expressive

                It is difficult to know exactly what to say to a very tiny baby who is hooked up to tubes and wires and every apparatus imaginable.  At the same time, don’t forget that he or she is a baby...your baby.  And all babies love to be touched and talked to and read to and told that they are loved.

Be Active

                You will soon find yourself hearing and learning and saying terms that were completely foreign to you not long ago.  As odd as that seems, you will do well to partner with the professionals taking care of your child.  Ask questions, do research, read up on prematurity, and take an active role in your child’s care and the decisions that need to be made.

Be Courageous

                What you’re dealing with is as stressful as anything that you’ll encounter in this life.  But because there is a baby who needs you, this is not a good time for you to “check out.”  Brace yourself, pace yourself, and deal with stress, but don’t run from it by running from your child.  Between visits, you should rest as much as possible.  Talk to people who are understanding, and pray for your child’s wellbeing.

Be Encouraging

                While you go through this, you will discover that several people need you to be as positive and encouraging as possible, such as:  your baby’s other parent, other families in the nicu, and the professionals who make great sacrifices to help your child.  Most of all, your child needs to know that you are proud of him/her, that he/she is a joy to you and not a burden, and that you love him/her in spite of everything happening!  Keep your head up.

We hope that this packet is helpful to you and that—when the time is right—you will consider helping us pass it on to others.

Section Three

To find out about

the origins of Project Seahorse...

To read encouraging stories of

families with premature children...

To fund a Project Seahorse Packet

and to register

your own family’s story…

go to WWW.projectseahorse.NET