Is something tugging at your heart?
Do you have a dream that terrifies you – like public speaking?
Have you ever had something that keeps tugging at your heart? It pops up out of nowhere and you cannot figure out why? This is not just a one and done kind of a thing, it keeps tugging at you repeatedly over and over again!
And more than likely, you probably try to ignore those thoughts and push them away, because whatever it is absolutely terrifies you! But – I encourage you to pause, pay attention, and listen! Our hearts often direct us in the exact direction where we are supposed to be going.
But did you know that your fears are actually a guidepost towards your dreams. Yes, you heard me correctly! If you take a look at some of your biggest fears, it is just beyond those where all of your dreams lie! I wrote a post all about dreams and the fear that is holding you back from achieving them. Read it HERE!
I’m a big dreamer! I have always been! I have big goals and big DREAMS! Now, not all of those dreams have come to fruition, but some are still a work in progress!
Survival mode after trauma
After I had my son, William, I was in survival mode for years to follow. He was born extremely premature at 23 4/7 weeks. He spent 91 days in the NICU and by the Grace of God, we brought him home on oxygen and monitors.
Sadly, many of William’s first few years are a blur to me. I think I was just trying to get by. I returned to work a month after we brought him home since I spent most of my maternity leave with him in the NICU.
There is also a lot of trauma that surrounded my pregnancy with him, his delivery, the time in the NICU, and the first few years at home. I still deal with it everyday, but with therapy and time, it has gotten better.
“I can see clearly now the rain has gone…”
My head finally came out of the clouds and I could see things more clearly.
I can now see that God has blessed me with a very unique position. Not only am I a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner and former NICU nurse, but I am the proud mother of a micropreemie. I know the medical component of the NICU, but also have firsthand experience of the incredibly difficult NICU journey.
I have always openly shared William’s story. He has an amazing story to share that can help so many people. Not only does it bring awareness to prematurity, but also the importance of Family-Centered Care in the NICU. For some, it also gives them hope to believe that miracles really do happen with the power of prayer.
My journey towards speaking publicly as a parent advocate
For me, the thought that has been tugging at my heart has been there for years. But, I started to actually embrace it, visualize it, and decided to go for it!
I made a declaration last November to start speaking publicly, on a larger scale. To begin, I decided to record myself as I entered upon this personal and professional journey. Won’t you join me?!?
To see how my journey started, watch HERE!
The First Major Step!
Abstract Submission
Once I had declared my intentions and goal, I had to take the time to put together the abstract submission.
The most difficult part was to keep all of the things I wanted and needed to say to around 200 words. The abstract submission requirements for podium presenters are different for each neonatal conference.
To capture my passion, yet keep the submission succinct and within their guidelines was difficult.
Help Me!
I knew that I needed some other eyes on my abstract before I submitted it, so I asked a couple of colleagues to take a look at it and give me their feedback. I also reached out to a professor to do the same, but she was traveling and unable to review it.
Just like an outfit you’re trying on, I wanted an honest review and advice from those that I trust. After some revisions and multiple reviews on my part, I hit SUBMIT!
Continue to follow my journey HERE!
An Unexpected Surprise!
There are multiple Neonatal conferences throughout the year. Since I already had my abstract completed and ready for the initial conference I decided to go ahead and submit it for a podium presentation for a different conference.
Watch HERE as I receive some pretty exciting news that I never anticipated!
The Reality of the Pandemic Sets in…
As we progressed into 2020, we all started to hear more and more about Coronavirus and the severity of the virus. Since I live in central Illinois, we were not as affected initially as some of the other states.
But, I recall on March 11th a sudden shift started and quickly progressed into sudden changes on March 12th.
Watch HERE as I absorb the sudden changes and our new reality that occurred in the United States as large events were cancelled and our kids were quickly pulled out of school.
This is to not diminish the patients who had been and continue to fight the COVID19 virus, but my personal reaction to something I had been working on and striving towards.
