NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — More than 13 percent of babies born in Louisiana are premature. It’s the leading cause of infant death. The March of Dimes gives the state an "F" when it comes to preterm birth.
For years now we have followed a local mother in her mission to help those families. She knows firsthand what they are going through.
In 2014, Kimberly and Aaron Novod were met with the greatest joy and the most difficult heartbreak. Their first child, baby boy Saul, was on his way, but he came too soon. He was born after 28 weeks, and lived his short life of three weeks in a NICU. But his memory lives on in Saul's Light Foundation.
“Our goal is simply this to support all NICU and bereaved families across the state of Louisiana. We know that the NICU journey and the bereavement journeys can be traumatic times,” said Kimberly Novod, the founder of Saul’s Light Foundation.
She has not stopped in her mission to comfort other families who lose a newborn, or who have to leave one in the care of the NICU medical team. Tuesday she announced another hospital partnership. This time with the NICU at Ochsner-Baptist.
“In our NICU our parents are actually grieving their vision of how their pregnancy will go, how once they deliver their baby they'll have their baby in their arms, they'll stay in the hospital two nights, maybe three nights then go home and live happily ever after,” said Ochsner-Baptist NICU Social Worker Tasha Johnson.
Saul's Light gave funds to help those in need, and a little library.
“Which is a book nook essentially that supports bonding, reading, and cognitive development in the NICU,” said Novod.
And for families whose babies never make it home, Saul's Light donated a CuddleCot. It’s a special device is put in a beautiful Moses Basket to cool and preserve the infant's body, so family members can have extra precious moments to good-bye, and take pictures to hold for a lifetime in their otherwise empty arms.
“We hear from mothers. We also hear from health care providers about how the CuddleCot gives families more time to make those all-important memories that they're going to have to rely on as they move forward in their journey,” said Novod.
And it's a journey that affects a disproportionate number of families in Louisiana.
