Baby William's NICU Stay
Donation protected
William Isaac George Tough was born at 26 weeks (14 weeks early) on March 31, 2018. Weighing 1 pound and 1.3 ounces at birth, he is facing a lengthy NICU stay of six weeks or more. Will is a fighter and his loving parents, David and Jessica Tough, are dedicated to being by his side during his hospital stay.
Because of their lengthy hospital stay, Dave and Jess are going to be off work and with no income. As well, while we are grateful that William (and Jess) are receiving amazing care at Mount Sinai, the road ahead is long and full of unknowns and baby William may require health supports that aren't covered by OHIP. Dave and Jess will also likely have travel and other unforseen costs.
As their community of friends and family, let's help ease some of the stress and financial uncertainty that Dave and Jess are undoubtedly facing.
Many of you have seen their birth announcement and have asked how you can help. While there are certainly opportunities for moral and other support, anything we can do to alleviate their significant financial pressure ahead while they are off work and attending to William in hospital will be greatly appreciated by Dave and Jess. Thank you for any assistance you are able to offer!
We promise to post more updates and photos here!
***********
A long awaited baby William Update!
Thank you so much for your amazing generosity! Jess and Dave have been truly overwhelmed and extremely touched both by your donations and words of support.
William, who is know weighing in around 1020 grams, remains in NICU at Mount Sinai and is doing well. William’s doctors – not to mention Jess and Dave - hope he can move to the Peterborough NICU soon, where he will likely stay until his due date.
Dave and Jess have been posting weekly updates about baby William, and here they are below for those of you who may not have seen them:
Five weeks’ old!
William was five weeks old this past Saturday and this week he's 32 gestational weeks, the age that makes him eligible for transfer from Mount Sinai to a level 2 NICU like Peterborough's. There are other factors involved, though, mostly his weight and his reliance on breathing support. Both are progressing, the weight more quickly and decisively. We have a great arrangement here, sharing Gord and Mary and Jessa and Georgia's house with them, and a great medical team at the hospital, but after five weeks of it, we are good and ready to be home, and for William to be closer to his home too. That will come in time; it's coming closer every day.
Four weeks’ old!
William gained a lot of weight in his fourth week - he's now just over two pounds, almost double his birth weight. It's exciting, but it's also possible to make too much of a big deal out of weight gain as a measure of your premature baby's success.
Like a lot of premature babies, William's lungs are pretty new and a bit finicky. This week it was obvious that he was struggling with his breathing - normal stuff, but not easy on William's mum's and dad's hearts, which are finicky emotionally. We're grateful that one of the top NICUs in Canada is on the case and we're doing everything we can to show William we love him.
Three weeks old!
We're a bit late posting our regular update for William's weekly 'birthday' celebration because we've been busy holding him and helping with his care at Mount Sinai. It's been a good week: William has been stable and in one place for nine days now, which is a record, and he's spent that time growing. Being able to hold him has been amazing. Granted, this still happens under very strict conditions and on specified timelines, not when we want to hold him (i.e. all the time). We're very happy with the family integrated care practiced at Mount Sinai but of course we want him to be big and strong enough to move home to the Peterborough hospital and eventually home for real. That's still a long way off, but it's definitely getting closer.
Two weeks’ old!
William spent most his second week at Sick Kids, across the street from his birthplace at Mount Sinai, because his doctors wanted a second opinion on whether a blob on x-rays of his abdomen was a problem or not. Mum and dad were not as comfortable there, but William did well enough to earn a transfer back yesterday, on the eve of his second week anniversary. He and we were greeted as old friends when we came back, and now he's resting comfortably, which is his whole job.
We hope in the next week to hold William skin to skin. It's pretty heartbreaking spending so much time looking at him through the incubator glass, and while we have moments of intimacy - cleaning his little eyes and mouth, changing his diaper, even resting a hand across his body - we long for more contact with our baby. This is life in the NICU.
Because of their lengthy hospital stay, Dave and Jess are going to be off work and with no income. As well, while we are grateful that William (and Jess) are receiving amazing care at Mount Sinai, the road ahead is long and full of unknowns and baby William may require health supports that aren't covered by OHIP. Dave and Jess will also likely have travel and other unforseen costs.
As their community of friends and family, let's help ease some of the stress and financial uncertainty that Dave and Jess are undoubtedly facing.
Many of you have seen their birth announcement and have asked how you can help. While there are certainly opportunities for moral and other support, anything we can do to alleviate their significant financial pressure ahead while they are off work and attending to William in hospital will be greatly appreciated by Dave and Jess. Thank you for any assistance you are able to offer!
We promise to post more updates and photos here!
***********
A long awaited baby William Update!
Thank you so much for your amazing generosity! Jess and Dave have been truly overwhelmed and extremely touched both by your donations and words of support.
William, who is know weighing in around 1020 grams, remains in NICU at Mount Sinai and is doing well. William’s doctors – not to mention Jess and Dave - hope he can move to the Peterborough NICU soon, where he will likely stay until his due date.
Dave and Jess have been posting weekly updates about baby William, and here they are below for those of you who may not have seen them:
Five weeks’ old!
William was five weeks old this past Saturday and this week he's 32 gestational weeks, the age that makes him eligible for transfer from Mount Sinai to a level 2 NICU like Peterborough's. There are other factors involved, though, mostly his weight and his reliance on breathing support. Both are progressing, the weight more quickly and decisively. We have a great arrangement here, sharing Gord and Mary and Jessa and Georgia's house with them, and a great medical team at the hospital, but after five weeks of it, we are good and ready to be home, and for William to be closer to his home too. That will come in time; it's coming closer every day.
Four weeks’ old!
William gained a lot of weight in his fourth week - he's now just over two pounds, almost double his birth weight. It's exciting, but it's also possible to make too much of a big deal out of weight gain as a measure of your premature baby's success.
Like a lot of premature babies, William's lungs are pretty new and a bit finicky. This week it was obvious that he was struggling with his breathing - normal stuff, but not easy on William's mum's and dad's hearts, which are finicky emotionally. We're grateful that one of the top NICUs in Canada is on the case and we're doing everything we can to show William we love him.
Three weeks old!
We're a bit late posting our regular update for William's weekly 'birthday' celebration because we've been busy holding him and helping with his care at Mount Sinai. It's been a good week: William has been stable and in one place for nine days now, which is a record, and he's spent that time growing. Being able to hold him has been amazing. Granted, this still happens under very strict conditions and on specified timelines, not when we want to hold him (i.e. all the time). We're very happy with the family integrated care practiced at Mount Sinai but of course we want him to be big and strong enough to move home to the Peterborough hospital and eventually home for real. That's still a long way off, but it's definitely getting closer.
Two weeks’ old!
William spent most his second week at Sick Kids, across the street from his birthplace at Mount Sinai, because his doctors wanted a second opinion on whether a blob on x-rays of his abdomen was a problem or not. Mum and dad were not as comfortable there, but William did well enough to earn a transfer back yesterday, on the eve of his second week anniversary. He and we were greeted as old friends when we came back, and now he's resting comfortably, which is his whole job.
We hope in the next week to hold William skin to skin. It's pretty heartbreaking spending so much time looking at him through the incubator glass, and while we have moments of intimacy - cleaning his little eyes and mouth, changing his diaper, even resting a hand across his body - we long for more contact with our baby. This is life in the NICU.
Organizer and beneficiary
Niiti Clare
Organizer
West Toronto , ON
Jessica Nieman
Beneficiary
