Erica and Dez’s little boy, Lincoln, is almost three. He’s outgoing, curious, and loves chasing his big brother Max. Watching him hit every milestone after such a hard start to life is amazing, thanks to the care he received in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH).
Too early to arrive
At 25 weeks pregnant with her second child, Erica was juggling a busy job and a preschooler at home. When her doctor asked her to have a precautionary scan to check her placenta, she wasn’t worried. Her pregnancy had gone smoothly.
Just hours later, her obstetrician called with urgent news. Her placenta was fine, but Erica was already in early labour, three centimetres dilated, and needed to get to hospital straight away.
“I remember feeling shocked and scared. Our first-born Max arrived one day before his due date weighing 3.8kg. I expected something similar for this pregnancy, and there were no signs, no contractions, or anything to suggest I would go into early labour. All I knew was that it was too early for our baby,” recalls Erica.
At the hospital, doctors gave her the best-case scenario: they would try to delay the birth by two weeks, so the baby could reach 28 weeks’ gestation. Babies this early are small and fragile. Their vital organs, like the lungs, brain and digestive system, are still developing.
Despite her medical team’s best efforts, Lincoln arrived just four days later, at 26 weeks’ gestation.
Into the NICU
Straight after birth, doctors and nurses placed Lincoln in the incubator where he was kept warm and monitored closely. He was immediately intubated and placed on a ventilator to help him breathe.
Erica and Dez met their baby hours later, feeling both happy to see him and worried that their newborn had arrived so soon. Weighing only 894g, Lincoln was tiny. But despite his size and the medical equipment that covered most of his face, his parents could already see he looked like Max.
The first cuddle
After days of only touching their baby through the incubator, Erica and Dez finally had their first cuddle, holding Lincoln skin-to-skin in kangaroo care. Nurses carefully navigated the cords and equipment to place him on their chests. These small moments of connection helped carry them through the anxiety.
Even at four, Max picked up on how serious things were, staying quiet as he watched the monitors beep and the nurses move around the unit. He often asked why his brother was sleeping in a box. Thinking hospitals were only for sick people, his parents explained that Lincoln needed a special bed to help him grow.
Christmas Day
Alongside moments of happiness and relief came anxiety and complications.
Erica recalls, “In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Lincoln was really sick and his treatments weren’t working. We were really scared, especially seeing his incubator surrounded by machines to keep him alive.
But thanks to the doctors and nurses’ persistent care, knowledge and expertise, he turned a corner.”
One of the family’s most special memories is arriving at the hospital on Christmas Day to see every incubator decorated and each baby wearing a festive beanie. Every family received presents to unwrap next to their child.
Leaving hospital
Thankfully, Lincoln continued to grow stronger and went home at three months old. Today, their little boy has some lasting effects on his lungs from being born prematurely, but he is otherwise healthy and happy. His parents are deeply grateful for the extraordinary care he received.
Every year on Lincoln’s birthday, the family donates to the hospital’s charity partner, the NORTH Foundation, to give back. Recently, Dez cut off the long hair he had been growing since Lincoln was born to raise funds for the NICU. The funds raised will go towards a new wellbeing room in the NICU where staff can retreat and take a break when needed.
Now they’re sharing their story to support our Christmas Appeal.
The reality is that these holidays, some people like Erica and Dez, will face the unexpected: a devastating diagnosis, a tragic accident, plans stopped in their tracks.
Your support of the NORTH Foundation helps ensure world-class healthcare is within reach for everyone in our community, exactly when they need it most.
