Comforting Message: A Prayer from the NICU

Tara, a former NICU parent contacted me after reading the NICU Parent Support Blog and asked if I would be interested in sharing the prayer poem that she wrote about the N.I.C.U.

She wrote the poem for a friend when her friend's child was in the NICU several years ago. She had already lived through her own experience of having twins in the NICU.

A Prayer from the N.I.C.U.
by Tara Roper

Dear God,
I have a request to make.
Just a moment of your time it will take.
You see, my parents, are heartbroken and sad,
and they have prayed to you with all they had.

Could you just hug them and remind them you care,
as they are wishing I was at home, not here.
This time is confusing, unlike how they pictured it would be,
But I want them to know that you take care of me.

Although I am sleeping in this little bed,
and I am often too tired to raise my little head,
please remind them that I know they did their very best.
And that at night I am protected as I sleep upon your chest.

They think I am so lonely when they are away,
and if I could tell them, I would say

I know this is hard, and God understands,
But just know He has never let go of my hand.
He is always with me, like He is with you,
and all this has a purpose too.

And God, while I am in this temporary N.I.C.U. home,
I just want them to know I have never been alone.

Source: Roper T. A Prayer for the N.I.C.U. FaithWriters.com. Reprinted with Permission.

About the Author
Tara Roper is a 34 year old mom of three in the Atlanta area. Her daughter Caroline is five years old , and her twins, Maggie and Jacob are almost three years old. She and her husband John have lived in the Atlanta area and Boston area in the last ten years. Tara has been the editor of local parenting newsletters and writes on Faithwriters.com. Tara is the Assistant Coordinator for The Women's League Inc. for Northstar Church. Tara is currently taking time off from being a special education teacher to be at home with her children.

You can contact her through Faith Writers.

More Prayers

Dyer KA. 2008. The Preemie Prayer. NICU Parent Support Blog.
Dyer KA. 2007. Creatively Coping: Write a Prayer Poem. NICU Parent Support Blog.
Dyer KA. 2007. Creatively Coping: Preemie Prayer Pockets. NICU Parent Support Blog.
Dyer KA. 2007. Preemie Prayer for Sylas Christopher, the Remaining Morrison Sextuplet & Siblings. NICU Parent Support Blog.

Image: Aparecida B. Souza. Little Angel. Royalty Free Use.

Comforting Message: The Preemie Prayer

I found this preemie prayer, searching for prayers that would work for premature babies.

According to the blog entery, Preemie Prayer Revisited on her Preemies then Twins Blog by Sadye Spirit, this prayer was posted above the sinks where NICU Parents, families and staff scrubbed in at the Progressive NICU in the hospital her preemie twins stayed. The poem has brought many a NICU parent to tears.

The Preemie Prayer

Dear God, as you look down upon us,
We know that you might have to squint.
We're located here in the NICU
It's the nursery that we rent.

There are many alarms and sirens,
Connected to condos and flats.
The nurses tape our booties on,
And dress us in funny hats.

We have a lot in common;
All of us were in a hurry.
For many different reasons,
Our storks came a little early.

Some of us don't know why,
We bursted out from our bubbles.
We entered into this world,
Never meaning to cause any troubles.

Mommy and Daddy are worried sick
About the odds that we must beat.
Please God, help them to realize,
That seeing us grow is a treat.

Breath by breath, we'll learn to breathe.
Ounce by ounce we'll tip the scale.
We're like a boat in the ocean,
That knows not sink- only sail.

For we are living miracles,
Mommy and Daddy must simply believe,
That you have angels watching over us;
From the time we arrive, till the time we leave.

Author Unknown

If anyone knows the author of this poem, let me know so I can give him or her proper credits.



Another Preemie Prayer:
You can read another prayer for a Premature Baby at the Our Kids site. A short excerpt is below:

God bless the little child behind the plastic wall
For all he knows is the ringing of the bells and
the blurred images around him.
He has been taken from my womb without warning
and I long to hold him in my arms.

Author Unknown. Premature Baby Prayer. Our Kids.

This prayer is being republished on the anniversary of the day that my youngest was transferred to the higher level NICU.

Images:
Abcdz2000. Praying. Royalty Free Use.
Ensignmedia. Carissa Prayer. Morguefile Free License.

Preemie Prayer for Sylas Christopher, the Remaining Morrison Sextuplet & Siblings

More sad news released Monday...

Lucia Rae, another of the Morrison sextuplets, died on Sunday. That means only one of the sextuplets is still alive, Sylas Christopher. Sylas remains in critical condition at Children's Hospital in Minneapolis.

Cadence Alana, Tryg Brenton, Bennet Ryan and Lincoln Sean all died over a few weeks in June. The Morrison sextuplets were born June 10 at 22 weeks gestation or about 4 1/2 months early. The smallest of the six weighed only 11 ounces at birth, the largest a little over a pound (16 ounces).

Once again our thoughts and prayers go out to the Morrison family who have have lost five of their six NICU babies.

This prayer goes out to Sylas for strength "to make it through another second, minute, hour and day" * to his parents to endure these challenging times and his angel siblings.

The Preemie's Prayer

Dear God, as you look down upon us,
We know that you might have to squint.
We're located here in the NICU:
It's the nursery that we rent.

There are many alarms and sirens,
Connected to condos and flats.
The nurses tape our booties on,
And dress us in funny hats.

We have a lot in common;
All of us were in a hurry.
For many different reasons,
Our storks came a little early.

Some of us don't know why,
We bursted out from our bubbles.
We entered into this world,
Never meaning to cause any troubles.

Mommy and Daddy are worried sick
About the odds that we must beat.
Please God, help them to realize,
That seeing us grow is a treat.

Breath by breath, we'll learn to breathe.
Ounce by ounce we'll tip the scale.
We're like a boat in the ocean,
That knows not sink- only sail.

For we are living miracles,
Mommy and Daddy must simply believe,
That you have angels watching over us;
From the time we arrive, till the time we leave.

Author Unknown

According to the blog entry by Sadye Spirit, this prayer was posted above the sinks where NICU Parents, families and staff scrubbed in at the Progressive NICU in the hospital her preemie twins stayed.

If anyone knows the author of this poem, let me know so I can give him or her proper credits.

Follow up on the Morrison Sextuplets
In November 2007 WCCO did a follow up story on how the Sylas Christopher, the one surviving sextuplet was at home and thriving.

You can read more at their website.

Another Preemie Prayer:
Author Unknown. Premature Baby Prayer. Our Kids. http://www.our-kids.org/Archives/Preemie.html

Other Related Article:
Dyer KA. What can I *say* when a NICU baby dies? June 2007. Available at: http://nicuparentsupport.blogspot.com/2007/06/what-can-i-say-when-nicu-baby-dies.html

Sources:
Sadye Spirit. August 16, 2006. Preemie Prayer Revisited. Preemies Then Twins Blog.
CBS Broadcasting Inc. July 23, 2007. 5th Minnesota Sextuplet Dies. WCCO.com.

Photo Source: Benjamin Earwicker. Tiny Feet 2. Royalty Free Use. Garrison Photography.