3rd Annual NICU 92

My name's Nick Okada, and I'll be rollerblading 92 miles for the 3rd year to raise money for NICU babies and their families. 2022 & 2023 skates were a great success, but I hope to crush them this year!

On July 5, 2020, a day after returning home from a hockey trip, my wife, Katie, experienced Chorioamnionitis. Also known as intra-amniotic infection (IAI), it is inflammation of the fetal membranes, usually due to bacterial infection, which sent her into preterm labor. Kieran was born at 1:42 PM that day, weighing 1 lb 15 oz (878 g), 13 in long, at 25 weeks and 4 days.

Kieran was immediately taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center (UCMC) NICU. I was able to see him for a second, but Katie couldn't even lay eyes on him. All babies who fit the criteria to spend time in the NICU are high priorities, but Kieran and the NICU nurses and doctors had even more pressure on themselves as Kieran was classified as a micro-preemie. A micro-preemie is a baby born before 26 weeks gestation or weighing less than 1 lb 12 oz.

Kieran would have a very long road ahead. That road included many ups and downs, but Kieran was fortunate to have many great nurses and doctors surrounding him to provide him with the best care possible. Katie and I did our best during heavy COVID times and were able to see Kieran twice a day, but it still wasn't much in the overall time he was in the NICU. The doctors and, more importantly, the nurses, were terrific. They were the love and care that Kieran desperately needed while in the NICU.

Kieran would spend 92 hard-fought days in the NICU. He came out strong and has never looked back. We were fortunate to bring him home relatively unscathed. Some families can't say the same. Some babies experience significant problems that could be temporary or lifelong. Some families have a much harder road, experiencing different highs and lows of time in the NICU.

Any parent who comes through the NICU, whether it be one day, 100 days, or more, knows what it's like and experiences the fear and emotion that follow. In honor of the 92 days Kieran spent in the NICU, I will be rollerblading 92 miles once again. My hope is to continue to raise awareness to life in the NICU and raise money for all the babies and families experiencing, struggling, and fighting, while in the NICU.

Kieran will be 4 this July, and he is the sweetest little boy. He keeps us on our toes and has provided us with seemingly normal parenting struggles, but it's far better than we could've ever imagined it to be when we went in to the hospital that day almost 4 years ago.

100% of proceeds raised will be donated to the Friends of Tiny Hearts organization. They are specific to UCMC, and they work to support and improve the care available at the UCMC NICU. If you'd like to make a donation directly to Friends of Tiny Hearts, please use this link.