Haley Sullivan

When I was just shy of 28 weeks pregnant, I woke up feeling awful—tired, lightheaded, and like I had a severe ear infection. I went to my primary care doctor, and they said everything looked fine: no COVID, no flu, and no ear infection, but my blood pressure was very low. I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew something was off. 

I also had my 28-week appointment that afternoon. During that visit, everything looked okay except for the low blood pressure. On a whim, I asked my OB how much my baby should be moving. When I told my OB that Ellie wasn’t moving like she normally did, she said, “Okay—let’s hook you up to the monitor.” While I was on the monitor, Ellie’s heart rate had a major deceleration. I knew that wasn’t normal, my OB sent me to the hospital for extended monitoring.

I’ll never forget the conversation I had with my mom on the way there. She was very worried, but I kept saying, “It’s fine, everything has been fine so far. It’s just a precaution.” Not a day goes by that I don’t think about how close I came to not asking my OB about my baby’s movement. I’m also so grateful my OB took me seriously and wanted to make sure my baby was okay. 

That night, Ellie’s heart rate had several decelerations, and I didn’t yet understand I could be rushed into an emergency C-section at any time. They started a magnesium drip to reduce her risk of a brain bleed and gave me steroid shots to help her lung development. The next day, I had an ultrasound. Ellie was small, and the umbilical cord blood flow was weak. That’s when we were faced with a reality we never expected—our baby girl was going to arrive three months early. 

We welcomed our sweet baby girl, Ellie Ann, into the world, weighing 2 lbs 1 oz. I had never felt more fear than when I walked into that operating room, with so many unknowns and uncertainties up in the air. Ellie’s birth went as well as we could have asked for in that situation. 

Those 104 days in the NICU changed our family forever. Ellie fought through things we never imagined: a life-threatening intestinal infection, chronic lung disease, blood transfusions, intense eye exams, and a PICC line for her TPN. Looking back, many of the advances that helped Ellie are available today because people kept pushing for better outcomes for babies like her. Ellie’s story is proof that research, advocacy, and compassionate care matter, and that even with the most fragile beginnings, there can still be so much hope. 

When Ellie was finally discharged, we felt so many emotions all at once, gratitude, excitement, and lots of nerves. The months that followed were filled with various appointments, therapies, and learning as we went. Through it all, Ellie kept showing us exactly who she is, our sassy and spicy but resilient baby girl. She has already overcome more than we ever could have imagined, and she continues to get stronger every single day. 

Being the March for Babies Ambassador Family is so personal for us. We know what it’s like to be the family sitting in the NICU, hoping for progress and holding on to every bit of strength we can find. Because of March of Dimes–funded research and advocacy, Ellie had access to lifesaving care, including advanced respiratory support, early detection and treatment of her intestinal infection, and consistent monitoring for complications that can come with prematurity. 

March of Dimes’ commitment to improving premature baby care also helped ensure Ellie had a full support system and access to early intervention care after discharge. We will always be grateful that March of Dimes helped make Ellie’s story possible—and we are proud to walk in March for Babies so more families can bring their babies home.