Family Profile
Miller Family Home: Republic, MO (Greene County)
Andrew “Andy” Miller was born
in February 2020, 6½ weeks before his due date. The doctors and nurses did their best to prepare us for his arrival, but we were all unsure of what his exact needs would be. We were informed with him arriving early, we would have a NICU stay at Mercy Hospital. While we heard the words, and understood them, there really isn’t any way to prepare for what exactly that means. Andy was a 4lb 11oz fighter, ready to take on the world. Thankfully, his lungs and heart were healthy so he was labeled a “feeder grower,” meaning he needed to learn how to eat and gain weight. Our 25 days in the NICU were a rollercoaster of emotions; it seemed like every step forward came with two steps backwards. To top it all off, we were in the beginning stages of learning about Covid-19, which would later become a worldwide pandemic. Our family would have been truly lost without the generosity of the Ronald McDonald House at Mercy Kids, and they immediately welcomed us with open arms. They provided a private place to rest between touch times, showers, hot meals each day (and all the coffee), laundry facilities, but most importantly, they provided a sanctuary allowing our family to have a few moments of normalcy each day in an otherwise very abnormal season of life. The staff and volunteers checked in with us daily, making sure all our needs were being met so we could devote all our energy to Andy and the NICU. As the pandemic progressed, they went above and beyond ensuring our family was safe and protected, and again allowing us to focus our worries on Andy. We are forever grateful for the comfort, love, security and sense of family they provided us during such an uncertain time.
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