Elroy Hanley

Hello My name is Elroy Hanley, a brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Xi Delta Lambda Chapter in Henrico, Virginia. My daughter Taylor was born at 25 weeks on March 22, 2004, weighing only 1 lb. 4 oz. My wife developed preeclampsia and experienced serious postpartum complications, and that period was one of the hardest times of our lives. I attended many NICU parent meetings while trying to navigate the uncertainty and fear that came with having a micro‑preemie in the hospital. Taylor remained in the NICU for six months, and her medical bills totaled 2.4 million dollars. During one of those meetings, a representative from the March of Dimes spoke with us and connected us to resources at the hospital, including Social Security, Social Services, and the financial department. With their support and my insurance, our final responsibility was reduced to $625.

Taylor’s early years were challenging. Although she passed her newborn hearing screening, she later lost her hearing and needed glasses. She also required a G‑tube for feeding. I took eight weeks off from work to enroll her in the feeding program at MCV, and once she entered the school system’s early intervention program, I worked closely with her on speech and her cochlear implant. Taylor still faces challenges, but she has overcome many of them and has been working as an assistant at a daycare for the past three years.