News: Christie - Mother
Gives Back to NICU (Strangfeld – 2019)
Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail:
dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Strangfeld, Statz
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 9/25/2019
Mother Gives Back to NICU (Strangfeld – 2019)
By Valorie Brecht
A local woman has found a way to bring good out of a personal tragedy.
Sierra Strangfeld and her husband, Lee, of Christie recently lost their
child when he was just a few hours old. Despite the devastation of loss,
they have found ways to give back to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
for all the help the staff provided during Sierra’s pregnancy and delivery.
It all started when Sierra was six months pregnant with her second-born. A
scan showed cysts on the baby’s brain. After several tests and an
ultrasound, on Aug.15 it was confirmed that Sierra and Lee’s baby had
Trisomy 18 (T18), also known as Edwards Syndrome.
T18 is caused by an error in cell division which leads to the baby having an
extra chromosome 18.
According to the Trisomy18.org, this extra chromosome “disrupts the normal
pattern of development in significant ways that can be life-threatening,
even before birth.”
Those developmental problems may include holes in the heart, fluid on the
brain, kidney problems, umbilical hernia, clenched hands, delayed growth of
the baby, a small head (microcephaly) and others.
A T18 error occurs in about one out of every 2500 pregnancies in the United
States and one in 6,000 live births. About half of babies with T18 who are
carried full-term are stillborn. Of those that survive, less than 10 percent
make it to their first birthday.
“It was scary and sad,” Sierra said of receiving the diagnosis.
After receiving the diagnosis, Sierra and Lee did a lot of thinking and
praying. Sierra had another ultrasound on Sept. 5 that showed the umbilical
cord was not working correctly. Sierra and Lee were told that their baby
would likely pass away in utero. They made the decision for Sierra to have a
C-section.
That same day, Sierra delivered their son at the Marshfield hospital. A team
of nine nurses and doctors from the NICU and obstetrics and gynecology
(OB-GYN) department helped with the delivery. Samuel was born at one pound,
7.9 ounces.
The NICU team was really great. They took really good care of him and did
everything that we asked to be done. They never treated him any differently.
They knew of his syndrome, but they still gave all the options available
like they would for a normal, healthy baby,” said Sierra.
Sierra and Lee had three hours with their baby before he passed.
“The pictures of ‘what should have been‘ is completely destroyed,” Sierra
wrote in a blog post after Samuel’s passing.
However, even in the midst of deep pain, Sierra and Lee reached out to help
others.
Sierra is a consultant for Thirty-One, a company that sells handbags,
accessories and gifts. From her sales, she donated 58 totes to the NICU.
Half were thermal totes for breast milk and the other half were large totes.
The totes were filled with hand sanitizer, toiletries, snacks, and other
items for new mothers and their babies. Ironically, she went to make the
donation the day Samuel ended up being born.
Sierra Strangfeld of Christie displays the Thirty-One Tote Bags that she
donated to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Marshfield. Submitted
photo
Sierra’s friend Whitney Statz who also sells Thirty-One set up a fundraiser
in Samuel’s honor. She will be donating medium utility totes to the NICU as
well as her commissions for the month of September. People may go to the
www.mythirtyone.com/whitneystatzv click on “My Parties” and
click on “Shop Now” under “NICU Donation” to participate.
Lee and Sierra plan to set up a scholarship in Samuel’s honor. It will go to
a graduating senior planning to work in OB-GYN, labor and delivery, the NICU,
social work or a related field. Sierra and Lee want to recognize all the
people that helped th4em out throughout the pregnancy.
Sierra also decided to pump her breast milk to give back to the NICU and the
babies there.
“That’s something that I really wanted to be successful with this pregnancy,
so I think doing that helps me deal with everything, too. There is good at
the end of this,” Sierra said.
Sierra hope Samuel’s story will help to raise aware ness of Trisomy 18.
“I promise, one day I will choose joy,” she wrote in a blog post. “Samuel
was never a hometown hero and most people didn’t meet him, but I will make
sure the world knows Samul’s name. We will tell everyone of Trisomy 18 – we
want everyone to know about it and we want everyone to remember Samuel.
“So many people I know have lost babies, struggled to get pregnant, or
didn’t have the number of children they hoped for, for some reason or
another. To those women, I understand your pain, your struggles and your
difficulty. Each story is different,” she also wrote.
It is estimated that one in five pregnancies end in miscarriage. Of the
babies that are born in the U.S. each year, more than half a million will be
admitted to the NICU.
September is NICU Awareness Month. The month is designed to honor families
experiencing a stay in NICU and the health professionals who care for them.
Although the NICU treats premature babies, that only accounts for about half
of the babies that stay there. Other conditions that NICUs treat include
birth anomalies, brain injuries, cardiac conditions, infection, jaundice and
respiratory distress.
Nationalperinatal.org suggests several ways to give back to the NICU and its
work to help babies. One is to donate items such as crocheted hats, clothes
or blankets or other items for newborns, or reach out to the NICU to see
what is needed most. People may also donate financially to ease the burden
of NICU families. Another suggestion is to deliver treats or notes of
gratitude to thank NICU staff members.
Another thing that people can do is just be there for families that are
walking through an atypical pregnancy.
“Just let them [the family] know that you’re there,” said Sierra. “Knowing
that people are the are there if you do want to talk means a lot.”
She said it was important to be willing to talk to a person about their
pregnancy and acknowledge there is something wrong. She said having the
support of the community and knowing people are thinking of her and her
husband has helped a lot.
Sierra said going through her pregnancy with Samuel changed her life
forever.
“My marriage is stronger and my faith in God is stronger because of it,” she
said.
“I think it makes you look at life in a whole new perspective. Going further
in our pregnancy, we cherished every day he was still there. I feel like you
should look at life in that perspective – every day is not a given.”
