The Strength to Try Again: Paige’s Difficult Path to Motherhood

When she looks at her now two-year-old son, TriHealth patient Paige Fath can’t help but think of the resilience he has shown before even 30 months of life—having spent the first 55 days of his in TriHealth’s Good Samaritan Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

This resilience, of course, comes from somewhere—and it is fairly obvious that Paige’s son gets much of it from his mom.

“Our story is not all happy,” said Paige about her first pregnancy. “Our first son passed in my arms at just about 2 hours old. I had been diagnosed with PPROM and delivered early at just 24 weeks, when my son was too premature to survive long after birth.”

PPROM, or Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes, is when the amniotic sac surrounding the developing baby ruptures prior to 37 weeks of pregnancy. Essentially, it is when an individual’s water breaks too soon.

Despite the difficult outcome of her first pregnancy, Paige decided to return to Good Samaritan Hospital for her second delivery when she again experienced PPROM and went into early labor.

“The nurses at Good Samaritan were extremely kind and as comforting as possible during such a traumatic event,” she said of that first experience. Because of this, she said she had “No hesitation in deciding to return to Good Sam for his birth as well, and I'm forever grateful for that.”

Paige had her son at 31 weeks, who subsequently spent the first 55 days of his life in the Good Samaritan NICU, which became a second home to Paige as well.

“The NICU team did such an amazing job taking care of my son,” she said. “We were always treated with kindness and respect, and they listened to our concerns and fears about having such a tiny preemie.”

Beyond those 55 days in a NICU bassinet, Paige’s son has been thriving in his follow-ups as well.

“We have loved our therapists and NICU follow up team,” she said. “He is now almost two and thriving because of the level of care we received after his birth and through these first few years of his life.”

Paige also says that after these experiences, her future as a TriHealth patient is clear.

“I will continue to entrust myself to the doctors and nurses of TriHealth facilities,” she said. We also made sure to choose a pediatrician in the TriHealth network as well.”

Two years after his birth, Paige thinks she made the right decision to try again.

“Our quality of life is so good now,” said Paige. “He is thriving and developing like a normal kid, not ever acting like he is behind because he was born 2 months early. I am able to enjoy every day with him and watch him grow and learn because of the care he received.”