FORT MILL, S.C. — As we wrap up Prematurity Awareness Month in November, shine a light on our littlest residents.
A group of volunteers is helping families dealing with that hurdle feel a little brighter during a dark time.
Victoria Elswick told Channel 9 that she knows the agony and heartache of having a child in the neonatal intensive care unit.
“I felt so helpless. I couldn’t do anything,” Elswick said. “He would cry. And I’d be like, I just want to hold him and comfort him. That’s the hardest part of having a baby in the NICU like that. Because you can’t.”
Elswick said her son Mason was born at 25 weeks old and would go on to spend three months in the hospital.
[ LINK: Carolina Strong stories ]
Preemies of the Carolinas is run by Jennifer Opferman and her team of volunteers. They make these inspirational hearts, blankets, onesies, and even costumes for the little ones fighting for their lives and the families who are holding out hope.
“I had my own hospitalization and was sick. And I just felt like, it was the middle of winter. And I was like imagine being a baby or a child that has to be in the hospital for days. I was only in for five days. And it was not a great experience. So I knew I wanted to give back,” Opferman explained.
>> Opferman explains how she and her volunteers find time to create these precious gifts outside of their normal jobs, in the video at the top of the page.
VIDEO: Carolina Strong: Woman volunteers for organization that helped her through difficulties
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