Race For Our Kids 2018-Meet Kennedy Hare
"Miracle" is what Abigail and Jason Hare call their adorable, spunky 3-year-old daughter, Kennedy, who spent the first 82 days of her life in Sinai Hospital of Baltimore's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
After Abigail's newborn son died just two days after his birth in 2002, Abigail was told that she had less than a 5 percent chance of conceiving again even with the assistance of fertility treatments. She and Jason had given up hope of her having another baby. They were delightfully shocked, however, when they learned on Father's Day 2014 that Abigail was pregnant again. It was a high-risk pregnancy for several reasons, but mainly because Abigail's Rh-negative blood type was sensitized after her son was born, which meant there was a possibility that the antibodies could destroy the fetus's red blood cells, and she had gestational diabetes and preeclampsia (a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and possible damage to organ systems, particularly the liver and kidneys).
On Nov. 24, 2014, Abigail, fighting a terrible headache from a cold, came in for routine testing. Aside from her blood pressure being a little high, she appeared to be in good health. But that night her blood pressure skyrocketed and she was rushed to Sinai's Labor and Delivery Department. By the next morning, Abigail's kidneys were beginning to shut down; both her life and her unborn baby's life were in extreme danger. Dr. Steven Miller, Abigail's OB/GYN, immediately delivered Abigail and Jason's "miracle" baby girl, Kennedy, who weighed 2 pounds, 2 ounces (at a gestational period of 27 weeks and five days). Abigail and Jason decided to wait until the birth to learn the sex of their bundle of joy.
During Kennedy's 82-day stay at Sinai, she required oxygen because her lungs were not functioning well at first. Also, Abigail suffered postpartum preeclampsia during that time and had to be treated at the hospital. The family's experience at Sinai was incredible. Jason was able to change Kennedy's first diaper, and despite her own medical scare, Abigail was able to hold Kennedy when she was 3 days old. Tina, the lactation consultant, was very supportive during Abigail's and Kennedy's stays. Abigail was determined to breastfeed, as she felt it would be best for Kennedy, and was thrilled when her milk ("liquid gold" as she calls it) came in on Thanksgiving. She was thrilled to be able to nurse Kennedy at 38 weeks. Kennedy and Abigail were both back home on Feb. 15 (Abigail's original due date was Feb. 19).
A Sinai Super Star, Kennedy loves her stuffed animal "Bunny," which she has had her whole life. She also loves pizza, pancakes, ballerinas, mermaids, and the pups from the cartoon series "PAW Patrol" (Marshall is her favorite character). In addition, she loves playing princess dress-up and singing and dancing to songs from the musical film "The Greatest Showman." She adores her pediatrician, Dr. Laura Lieberman. Her parents wonder if one day Kennedy might become a neonatologist (she likes to practice pronouncing that fancy word). In the meantime, she's having lots of fun pretending to be Disney character Doc McStuffins.
Join the Hare family in participating in the 14th annual Race for Our Kids and supporting a great cause: The Herman & Walter Samuelson Children's Hospital at Sinai.