Our daughter Rowan was prenatally diagnosed with congenital heart disease at around 23 weeks gestation. As we prepared to welcome our girl, we knew she would be sick and face complications. One thing I had always be adamant about was that I didn’t was to use pacifiers to soothe. I don’t know why, I just really wanted to try to avoid it. I registered for just one….the Fox WubbaNub, as a “just in case” to have on hand.
When Rowan was born she was much sicker than we expected. She was flown 3 1/2 hours away to a high-level CICU where all of her complex defects were confirmed and she had her first of three open-heart surgeries 18 days later. After we did not know at the time, she had suffered severe airway damage from being intubated so early on and for such a long period of time. She was fed by NG tube (later g-tube) and speech worked with pacifiers to help her learn to suck. Because we only had one pacifier, I had the cute fox on hand to use but the top part wouldn’t fit with her oxygen cannula on. We cut it and gave it to her and the rest is history. She is now 2 1/2, has had 3 open-heart surgeries, 13 minor airway surgeries, and an airway reconstruction and her Fox has been with her through them all. It is more than a comfort item for Rowan….it is a part of her story. A piece of home. A comforting texture and smell when she is sedated and we cannot comfort her in other ways. It has been through every overnight hospital stay, extended hospital stay, family vacation, doctor’s appointment, and big life change Rowan has experienced and I couldn’t be more thankful that we had it “just in case”, because it sure came in handy.