CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Spectrum News 1 is recognizing Preemies of the Carolinas founder Jennifer Opferman as an Everyday Hero.
Sometimes, what are supposed to be the happiest days for parents in the hospital can turn into stressful, anxiety inducing, nerve-racking days that turn into weeks.
It’s a big concern when a newborn baby can’t go home and has to stay in the neo-natal intensive care unit, or NICU.
Lauren Snipes said her baby girl, Lena, was born approximately 11 weeks early, weighing just two pounds and seven ounces, leading to a three-month stay in the NICU.
“She weighed less than a half-gallon of milk,” Snipes said. “She was 14 inches long. They ended up putting her on a vent, just to help her lungs. She didn’t need it, but they wanted to make sure her lungs had time to stabilize.”
She said she and her fiancé live south of Charlotte.
“You feel alone because you’re sitting in a room, your baby’s in a glass box tied to all these tubes,” Snipes said. "I can’t touch her, but to know there’s an army of families who’ve been where you’re at.”
During those three months, little Lena was also part of the NICU Preemies of the Carolinas, a nonprofit helping parents of preemies.
The organization sent a letter and several care packages to the family.
It’s an all-volunteer project that Jennifer Opferman started after seeing a need during a hospital stay of her own. Her organization has an army of volunteers who send blankets, onesies, NICU graduate blankets and bonding cloth hearts to give to families and babies.
Explaining how bonding cloths work, she said, “So, the mom wears one of these, you get two hearts in a packet and the mom wears one of these against her skin for 24 hours and brings it back to be in the isolate with the babies. So they have a scent from the mom always from home at the NICU. And 24 hours later they take the other heart from the baby and the mom always has a scent.”
Lauren Snipes’ little girl is now five years old and thriving.
She said she’s grateful for Preemies of the Carolinas.
“I’m just so excited to see the Lord work through her and use her through his purpose,” Snipes said.
She said she's also thankful to Opferman and her volunteers.
“We just can’t thank you enough for those words of encouragement, and those little trinkets you sent to help make that journey a little more bearable,” Snipes said.
Opferman said she’s happy to help.
“The nurses are absolutely amazing, but what we do is give that extra comfort, that extra support, that extra love,” Opferman said.
For nearly 10 years, Preemies of the Carolinas has grown to be accepted into 15 hospitals across North and South Carolina.