The Brittain Family: father Eric, mother Janda, son Kellen and daughter Ensley "I went into labor at 25 weeks, 3 days while driving to Minnesota from Wyoming. We were 220 miles from home when we stopped at the Emergency Room at Avera McKennan Hospital. I was already 4 cm dilated. With the help of amazing doctors and nurses we were able to prolong labor and get steroid shots on board to help inflate our baby’s lungs to prepare him for an early birth. Kellen was born on June 16, 2012 after 5 days of labor. He was 99 days ahead of his September 22nd due date. He weighed 2 pounds, 3 ounces. He was 26 weeks gestation. He tried to breathe on his own and the doctors took him swiftly to the NICU after he was born. I wasn't able to see or hear him. There were so many people in the delivery room I had no idea where he even was. After a few hours I was able to meet Kellen. He was the smallest child I'd ever seen and looked more like a space alien than I imagined my son to look. His skin was shiny and he had little white hairs all over his body. There were tubes and cords everywhere and he had tiny sunglasses over his eyes. We had to open the doors of his incubator to hold his hand. Kellen had many complications within the first 24 hours of his life. A perforation in his bowel led him to bedside surgery shortly after midnight. Thanks to an amazing surgical team, everything went well. Kellen survived the night and we were relieved there was a still a possibility we would be able to bring him home someday. We were finally able to hold Kellen when he was 3 days old. It was amazing to finally be able to hold him, but the cords, wires, and thought of holding a 2-pound baby was overwhelming and intimidating. We learned about Kangaroo Care and began to feel more comfortable in the NICU. When Kellen was 10 days old, he was having a lot of trouble breathing and doctors thought he had an infection. He underwent several tests. I held his tiny hand while the nurse drew blood from his head, but had to leave his side while they performed a spinal tap. He was re-intubated and all we could do was wait for the results. Thankfully he continued to fight. Two weeks after Kellen was born we were given the opportunity to move him to Children's in Minneapolis so we could be closer to home. Once we all arrived back in MN, Kellen began small improvements almost daily. We spent a total of 72 days in the NICU before we were able to bring him home on August 26th. Kellen weighed 5 pounds, 4 ounces. We came home with iron & sodium supplements, a heart monitor and LOTS of follow-up appointments to keep track of. Kellen is now 5 years old and thanks to the tremendous care he received, he has no serious lingering issues from his prematurity. We are very lucky. He still has follow-up appointments that the average 5-year-old does not, including yearly check-ups with a pediatric opthomologist due to a birth mark in the back of his left eye. We also end up bringing him into the clinic more often when he is having respiratory issues just to be safe. He is a very personable kid with a huge heart. He loves Hot Wheels, Avengers, art projects, reading, and playing with his little sister Ensley who was also born premature at 34 weeks, 6 days. Without the March of Dimes we would not be a family of four. We are so thankful for the research and treatment that helped bring both of our kids home from the hospital." Photograph courtesy of BE Creations Photography