Iron Will
On January 28, 2003, Representative Ausley gave birth to William DuBose Ausley Hollimon. "Will" was extremely premature and weighed only 1 pound, 3.7 ounces. After 4 months in the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, Will is at home with his parents and thriving. Representative Ausley and her husband Bill Hollimon wish to thank the medical team at TMH, and all of the many people who sustained them through these difficult months with words of encouragement and prayer.
"When we started on this journey, we were given a less than 10-percent chance that Will would survive and no guarantees that, even if he did survive, he would not face significant complications. His weight dropped to close to a pound; he had heart surgery, numerous blood transfusions, and severe issues with his lungs and respiratory system.
It is truly a helpless feeling to see your child in such a vulnerable state - he was fed by IV and stomach tubes, his breathing was performed by a ventilator and he was connected to a myriad of other tubes, wires and monitors. But slowly, slowly, Will started to gain weight and strength. At about 1 month of age, we were able to hold our son for the first time. At 2 months, we heard him cry for the first time. At 3 months, he was still well under 3 pounds but he continued to get stronger. After four months in the NICU, Will came home.
What does the future hold for Will and other babies born too soon? Many babies grow up healthy, and others are not so lucky. Even the best of care cannot always prevent lasting disabilities. In fact, half of all neurological disabilities in children are related to premature birth.
Considering his gestational age, Will is doing remarkably well at home and we have every hope for a normal life for him. There is no easy way to go through something like this, but we made several decisions early on that helped us immensely. First, we decided to trust the doctors. There are some good resources out there for parents of premature babies - most hospitals have a library of loaner books with general information and terminology.
Second, we decided to take advantage of every service that was offered to us - from physical and occupational therapy to developmental assessments. Low birth-weight babies are generally eligible for a range of services that vary based on the needs of each family. We know that Will is one of the youngest babies ever to survive, and we thank God every day for this precious miracle."
Excerpts from an article written by Representative Ausley and her husband. Premature Babies: Small Miracles (Tallahassee Democrat 11/23/04).
Other articles on Iron Will:
A Most Special Session (4/10/03)
In a Session of Few Accomplishments, a touch of joy, hope ( 6/7/03)
Faith and Love and Patience: Ausley coping with early arrival (4/20/03)
Rep. Ausley Draws round of Applause (4/30/03)
Tiny, Tough Baby is Now Thriving (11/27/03)
Family Photos of Will, doing great at home!