Mother’s Day this year is going to be extra special for one Phoenix mom who is not only celebrating it for the first time but has experienced some hardships over the last few months that no new mother is prepared for.
Yuliana Torres Aguirre, 27, has spent the past three months in the Nursery Intensive Care Unit at Dignity Health St. Josephs Hospital and Medical Center after her daughter, Neelam, was born prematurely and weighed just 1-pound, 6-ounces. The little girl also survived two brain bleeds.
"I think I was praying because I was so scared that something was wrong with her...because they told me like, 'You're really early we need you to wait until you're 30 weeks because you know the worst can happen," Aguirre said.
Neelam was due on June 1 but instead was born on Feb. 10 at 24 weeks gestation.
“Being a mom is a blessing and she is our little miracle,” Aguirre said.
While the journey into motherhood has proven difficult so far, Aguirre and her husband, Joel Torres Baeza, have remained positive — despite their circumstances.
“The NyICU team at St. Joseph’s are wonderful and they always do everything they can to make sure Neelam is OK so that we can go home soon,” Aguirre said.
Last week the hospital hosted an early Mother’s Day celebration for all of the NyICU moms and this week they all received special handmade Mother’s Day cards.
Today Neelam weighs six pounds and is expected to go home in the coming weeks.
