Walena Logan’s daughter, Sarai was born on October 10, 2019 at 12:15 am, at just 26 weeks. Sarai’s early birth was an unexpected surprise for Walena who was preparing for a family cruise until getting into a car accident a few days prior to its departure. Following the car accident, Walena began feeling what felt like bad abdominal pain and checked herself into RCH on October 9th. Once admitted they quickly informed her that she had been having contractions 20 minutes apart and administered medication to slow it down. After the contractions stopped Walena was cleared to go home. However, a few hours later her water broke and she was rushed back to RCH.
“Everything was going so fast for us. She was on her way out. They called it a ‘stop and drop’ because everyone needed to stop and get ready. They rushed me to the room, I sat down and they said the baby was here and that they could see the head! Next thing you know the nurse caught my baby! In the beginning she was doing well, but she was dealing with her breathing, brain, and her eyes. That’s a lot to take in for a mom. Thinking about all the things I’m going to have to prep for and it hurts you. Like they said it’s a rollercoaster. ”After the first few days in NICU, Walena was greeted by Consuelo Gonzales, who had recently delivered her daughter, Baby Rosie. Over time they steadily built a relationship, bonding and taking comfort in their shared experiences. The friendship blossomed once more when Consuelo gifted Walena with an onesie that was passed down to her by another parent in NICU. Consuelo shared with Walena that she would be the fourth mother to be gifted the onesie and it would be her responsibility to pass it on to the next family that might be in the NICU for a while. Not only has Walena already chosen someone to pass on the onesie to but she is also adding to the collection.
“It’s great that I have Consuelo, I also talk to another mother who’s been in here a while too. Honestly, all of the team is awesome. They love to tell me about the machines and how everything works. They’ve done such a great job with my baby. All of them. They all deserve a thank you. For me, overall the experience has been really great. I really thank them because my baby wouldn’t be here if they weren’t there.