(Originally posted on TCC in September 2018…)

I’ve posted before about our youngest daughter, Naomi. Born prematurely at 26 weeks, she had a very rough start. Between underdeveloped lungs and a massive bleed on both sides of her brain, we were told to expect the worst. On day one, we were told it was unlikely she would make it to day two. If she did, she would be the Girl Who Wouldn’t. She wouldn’t be able to walk or talk, wouldn’t live a “normal” life (whatever that is), wouldn’t even make eye contact. The brain bleeds were so devastating that we were looking at permanent brain damage and profound disabilities.

Naomi didn’t get that memo.

First of all, she became the Girl Who Lived. Granted, it took 3 doses of surfactant, some scary machinery, lots of oxygen, steroids and some very hairy moments, but she lived. Her lungs grew stronger and she moved (eventually, after several false starts) from the horrible oscillator to regular ventilation to CPAP to high flow to low flow to…. home.

Then it became clear that the Girl Who Wouldn’t was rapidly becoming the Girl Who Would. Or rather, Would, Could and most definitely Will!

She has taken her time with some of her milestones, but has made steady progress and has proven time and time again that she will only work on her own schedule, not anyone else’s.

Last week, we celebrated Naomi’s second birthday. For someone who wasn’t going to live, she’s certainly done very well on that front. The day after her birthday, two years to the day when we were told that she would never do it, she decided to take her first unaided steps. She will only walk when she feels like it, and won’t perform unless she wants to, because…. of course she will.