2015 Farmington Ambassador: Eric and I started off like most young couples. We met, fell in love and married. On October 31, 2013, we learned I was pregnant with one sweet miracle baby. We weren’t able to conceive naturally but were blessed with our baby on our second round of IVF. The due date was set for July 11, 2014 and we began making plans right away. The pregnancy was pretty normal. I ate healthy, exercised and had excellent prenatal care. We found out that we were having a baby boy when I was 16 weeks along. At 21 weeks things began to get complicated. My blood pressure started to rise and I started to show a little bit of swelling. My doctor decided I should be monitored on a weekly basis. When I went to my weekly appointment on March 27, my blood pressure was higher than usual. The night before I had a weird pain in my stomach. My doctor ordered some bloodwork and the next day I was told to check in to the hospital for observation. That evening we learned that our baby was going to be coming sometime that weekend. I was suffering from severe pre-eclampsia along with HELLP Syndrome. My platelets were dropping fast and Aidric and I were both in serious trouble. I was given magnesium sulfate along with my first dose of steroids to strengthen the baby’s lungs. We met with a team from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) I was monitored around the clock. It was then discovered that our sweet boy was suffering from severe Inter Uterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) and there was no fluid left in my amniotic sac. It was no longer safe for him (or me) and it was time for him to be born. We were given frightening odds and told to prepare. Aidric was given a less than 50% chance of survival. On March 30, 2014 at 25 weeks, Aidric Oliver Krumm was born by emergency c-section. He was very tiny – just 1 pound, 2 ounces and 11 inches long. Aidric was still inside his amniotic sac at birth, which is extremely rare. He came out crying and received his first dose of surfactant to help him breathe. This lifesaving medicine was developed by the March of Dimes. I was able to give him a kiss before he was whisked away to be intubated and rushed to the NICU. Aidric suffered a pulmonary embolism and a pneumothorax at two days old and again at two weeks old. This resulted in two chest tubes and two more doses of surfactant. I wasn’t able to hold Aidric until he was 20 days old. He was physically breakable; one wrong touch could’ve been detrimental to him. He was on the oscillating vent for 34 days, then moved to the conventional vent for an additional 35 days and finally moved to the bubble CPAP at 69 days old. He received multiple doses of steroids to strengthen his damaged lungs, battled multiple types of infections and received numerous blood and platelet transfusions. Aidric had to fight for his life on a daily basis; I will never forget the fear and heartache during his NICU stay. Finally, on August 8, 2014, a month past his due date, we were able to bring our sweet boy home. Aidric had a very rough beginning but is now thriving. He is meeting all of his milestones and is even ahead in some areas, with the help of physical and occupational therapy. We are beyond blessed with this little boy and couldn’t have made it through this experience without the help of our friends and family and our faith in God.