Having your child in the neonatal intensive care unit of a hospital can be a traumatic and challenging experience for new parents. The longer the little ones are there, the more things can weigh on a family. However, there are always those who try to find the silver lining in even life's toughest challenges.
One family from Indiana has won over the hearts of people all over the internet after they decided to turn their daughter's NICU milestone into something joyful and positive. Lindsay and Tyler Staup threw their NICU baby, Everly, a party right there in the hospital!
Lindsay and Tyler Staup welcomed their daughter, Everly, on March 21.
Everly was born at 28 weeks gestation, which is just a few weeks after the point of viability, and has been in the NICU at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health in Indianapolis ever since. She has been receiving treatment for duodenal atresia and chronic lung disease, Good Morning America reported.
In June, Everly reached 100 days in the NICU.
The couple, both of whom are teachers, was inspired by the tradition of the 100 days of school celebrations often done in schools. They decided to throw their daughter a "100 days in the NICU" party to bring some light to a challenging time.
"We thought we could tie in the tradition inside the NICU just to make it fun and joyful. We were like, we had to do something fun, to just bring joy and create memories with her," Lindsay told Good Morning America.
The average stay for a child in the NICU is 13 to 14 days.
A March of Dimes study showed that the average stay for a child in the NICU of a hospital is 13 days. The longest stay for a child in the NICU, however, was reportedly 144 days.
Most babies who are born at 28 weeks have an 80 to 90% chance of survival and only a 10% percent chance of having long-term health problems, per the University of Utah Health.
Everly has been through a lot while in the NICU.
"She's been through six surgeries already in just over 100 days and she's made it through all of them," shared Everly's father, Tyler. "And we'll say that, you know, I don't know if us personally could have made it through. And she's shown her strength in so many big ways and we're just proud to be her parents because of all she's accomplished."
For the celebration, the parents decided to go all out.
The parents dressed Everly in a "100" onesie and gold tutu on June 29. In addition, she sported a golden crown. Her parents wore matching T-shirts that read, "Hip Hip Hooray. It's the 100th day." They took tons of photos, and even the nurses got in on the celebration.
The parents also thanked the staff and nurses at Riley Children's Health for all they have done for their daughter.
"At Riley, we have the best nurses and doctors here," Tyler shared. "We've loved all of them that we've had, and I'd say that they make us feel so welcome and they care for us and they care for our daughter, and it's just great to know, even when we're not here, that she's in wonderful hands because of the work that they do here."
Best wishes to Everly and the Staup family!
